''Give it to God.'' These are the words inscribed on the front of the huge truck that goods transporter David Agbalanyo drives between Ghana and Burkina Faso. Agbalanyo has indeed been giving -- to officials who abuse their God-like power over those who wish to pass on the roads that link the two countries.
Environmental groups have for several years accused mining companies in Ghana of destroying the environment. In a strange twist of events, it now seems that farmers have turned to illegal mining as a result of the devastation of the pollution caused by mining activities. Ghana's ranking among gold-producing countries by volume improved from 11th in 2005 to 10th in 2006.
After almost a decade of poor cocoa production during the 1980s, the Ghanaian government is upbeat about the subsequent growth in output of the product that is the country's main export, providing more than 60% of foreign earnings. Swollen-shoot disease remains a headache, though.