The United Nations has cast doubt over many of Ghana’s social intervention programs aimed at eradicating extreme poverty in the West African nation.
Ghana has for many years now been dedicating funds to provide monthly allowances to families considered to be living in extreme poverty across the country under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.
Government officials have said that one of the key objectives is to improve the socio-economic status of the vulnerable and the excluded through targeted interventions.
Ghana’s current government is also hoping to roll out major programs including building factories in each district in the country and dedicating $1 million to each constituency all aimed at improving the well-being of citizens.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Professor Philip Alston has questioned the commitment level of the government due to reduction in investments into such social intervention programs.
Professor Philip Alston told reporters in Accra on Wednesday that “the government has a lot of very impressive schemes as we know, Ghanaian politicians are may be world champions in creating memorable slogans that really are good. But a hopeful lot of fate have been pained by many of those I have spoken to”.
“One factory, one dam, one million dollars etc to resolve the problem of poverty, I see no reason to be that optimistic”, Alston said about the country’s intervention programs.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur who is on a working visit to Ghana has called for improved investment in focused and well targeted projects that can transform living conditions of citizens.
Source: Africafeeds.com
