facts in a data-less society

so I am Ghanaian, if you haven't already gleaned from my old posts. so meet me on the streets anyday and ask me for directions to any location ... I will gladly give you the route annotated by landmarks, trees, and perhaps schoolbuses not streetnames or building addresses. Uhuh! ;-) i smile because i was just reminded of someone who says "Uhuh!" a tad too much. anyways, so Ghanaian generally have an issue dealing with facts and concrete data. How we give directions is just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to out view of facts and data. And I have to admit, we give directions as such because it is darn hard to know what any street in Ghana is called. Don't get me wrong, they may have names but why bother to remember them. What is the name of that street in Accra where those brave world war (I/II) veterans staged a mini-revolt against our then colonial masters? I cannot, for the life of me, remember; i need to brushup on my Ghanaian history ... and lore.
Trivial issues like giving directions aside, it is more depressing the abysmal state of data collection and information gathering in Ghana. At any given time, and depending on which government official you ask, or what public institution confer with, thhe inflation rate in Ghana can vary between 6% to 30%. Uhuh! :-). Its that bad. Unemployment rates? Interest rates? even population statistics? Forget it. Trying to figure these data is a byzantine process requiring that the seeker of information, which should be publicly acccessible, develop unwarranted levels of patience.
Recently the president, JA 'The Gentle Giant' Kufuor, stated in a press conference (which i will comment on later) that per capita GDP in the country had risen from $380 to $600+ since 2002. Well that would be all good, except for the fact that those figures are unconfirmed and the sources themselves are murky. It is within the realm of possibility that the figures are right. But where is the proof? What governmental/private agencies are responsible for collecting and releasing these financial metrics? Apparently the World Bank cannot confirm those figures? And even if they could, when did the World Bank become Ghana's data/statitics trove? After all in the late 80's till early 90's, it was these international financial institutions that heralded Ghana as a financial success story after years under their inspired Economic Recovery Program (ERP). See here for more information... and google is your friend on this. Currently, Ghana is officially a member of the elite Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) club. Interesting that the links above are all sources situated outside Ghana.

I could go on and on but I won't. The FACT is governments in Africa have a penchant for pulling statistics out of thin air to obfuscate public discourse and analysis of their failed economic policies. I'd hope that Kufuor government, which appears open to the idea of unbridled discussions about their policies, will step up and break the mould. I say 'appears' in a good way. After all JAK has held at least two press conferences during his tenure. And of course, any semblance of openess is preferred to conspicuous inaccessibility. That is of course the norm even in the West, the oft-claimed advocates of free and democratic societies. I rest my case ... for now. go check the facts; I stand corrected.