That former President John Adjekum Kufuor is a highly intelligent gentleman is not in doubt. His track record in politics and his many personal achievements attest to that. And the fact that he genuinely wants to see Ghanaian society transformed into a prosperous one that benefits all its people is also not in doubt.
The question then is: Why does it escape so many well-meaning and highly-intelligent Ghanaians - such as former President Kufuor - that if even super-wealthy and technologically-advanced Japan is still struggling, six years after the event, to contain radioactive contamination resulting from the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (and clearly losing that battle), were Ghana to build a nuclear power plant that suffered a similar fate, it would be overwhelmed by any attempt to contain the resultant radioactive contamination - and consequently suffer the unimaginable and inevitable apocalyptic world's-end-outcomes its terrified populace will have to grapple with for generations to come?
If nuclear power generation did not produce radioactive waste - that remains dangerous for thousands of years - it would be the ideal energy source for our nation. Without question.
Alas, unfortunately, the waste nuclear power plants produce remain radioactive - and thus very dangerous for thousands of years - and require stringent measures to store securely for all that length of time on top too.
It is said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. It is a wise saying that ought to guide us in this matter: No matter how attractive the upside positives might be, the downside risks simply make this an energy venture not worth entering into. Period.
Knowing how as a people we have allowed virtually every public facility built at great cost to taxpayers to ensure the modernisation and steady expansion of our nation's infrastructural-base to deteriorate over time, why are so many well-intentioned Ghanaians prepared to see our country needlessly playing Russian roulette: that building a nuclear power plant in Ghana actually represents?
A nation that is unable to handle the relatively simple task of safely disposing of household, medical and industrial waste, and has a poor maintenance culture has no business hankering after nuclear power plants. Full stop. Not when it is blessed with abundant renewable energy sources.
And, as a result of endemic corruption, how do we know that it will be well-built in the first place - when altering design specifications to pay for kickbacks to public officials and politicians is par for the course in public procurement contracts here?
And when it is eventually built how can we be sure that some of those tasked to protect the stored radioactive waste from the nuclear power plant will not succumb to the blandishments of sundry terrorist groups - and take bribes to give them access to the radioactive nuclear waste they are guarding?
Let us not tempt fate by allowing wealthy lobbyists working for the companies that build nuclear power plants to buy their way here - and obtain permission from our mostly self-seeking and selfish vampire-elites to build one here. Haaba.
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