"That's our biggest challenge -- how to fund it," Bugri said. "Even before the credit crunch, it was a problem, so now it's getting worse. We are dependent on the government, so we are always in arrears."
With the country aglow about playing host to Obama, Gyimah-Boadi fears the visit could make the people of Ghana complacent. He is afraid Ghana could face democratic setbacks -- particularly when the oil money begins to flow.
"There's a sense we should not be too hard on ourselves in terms of how we handle these new [oil] resources," he said. "That is where the danger lies."
Transparency is still weak, checks and balances ineffective, news media independence isn't well established and power is too centralized, he said.
"It would be good if the [Obama] visit was used to encourage the incumbent administration and opposition to appreciate that they're carrying a responsibility for themselves, for Ghana and for Africa," Gyimah-Boadi said.
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robyn.dixon@latimes.com
