Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has said that his delegation’s final day of formal meetings in Japan was with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Nippon Koei, CTI Engineering, and Oriental Consultants Global.
He said all four are leaders in their fields, and the discussions focused on the same issues: disaster risk reduction, coastal erosion, flood mitigation, transport planning, and the development of masterplans for our cities.
Dr Bawumia said that what stood out most was Japan’s approach to planning. Japan takes the long view. They build consensus around a plan and then commit to executing it over 30 years.
There is therefore little risk of a new government coming in and abandoning the work of the previous government, he said.
“That is a major difference between Japan and Ghana. In Ghana, we often do not have an agreed masterplan in many critical areas that we are all working towards, regardless of party. We must change that. I believe we can,” Dr Bawumia wrote on Facebook.
He therefore called for agreed masterplans in areas such as coastal erosion, flood control, and public transport – and let all political parties sign up to them.
“So that no matter who forms the government, the plan will be executed until it is completed,” he said.
As part of his study tour of Japan, Dr Bawumia said he had the incredible opportunity to visit 3R, a cutting-edge environmental technology company leading the way in sustainable innovation.
3R has developed advanced, game-changing technology capable of recycling water and cleaning contaminated soil by completely removing harmful heavy metals, including mercury, he said.
He stated that seeing this innovation firsthand was truly inspiring, especially as we look for sustainable, long-term solutions to restore our lands and waterbodies impacted by Galamsey.
“Innovation like this proves that with the right technology, determination, and foresight, we can heal our environment, protect our natural resources, and secure a safer, cleaner future for generations to come.
“My warmest gratitude to the leadership and technical team at 3R for opening up their facility and sharing such invaluable insights with us!” he said.
