It is a stark reality that Accra is overwhelmed by tremendous acts of indiscipline and lawlessness, an unhealthy situation that is unbecoming of its status as Ghana’s capital which should showcase cleanliness, neatness and orderliness.
A casual stroll around the city shows the horrible and disgusting state of squalor, mess and deterioration of Accra. There is filth galore on the streets, markets, lorry stations and indeed, everywhere. The drains, culverts and gutters are heavily choked to breaking point. Even liquid waste is disposed off without regard to public decency. Ramshackle structures, kiosks, containers, stalls, table, chairs, signboards and broken-down vehicles, line up the streets, pavements and the nook and cranny of the city.
To say that, the phenomenon is an eyesore and hazardous to the public is to understate the situation. Intensive trading and hawking activities go on along the streets, pavements and overhead bridges to the inconvenience of pedestrians and motorists. As if this is not enough, excessive noise-making also seems to be the order of the day. Here, mention could be made of music sellers, wayside preachers and sellers of herbal medicine. The critical areas of great concern and worry are the Central Business District, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Kaneshie Market, Tema Lorry Station and the slum settlement at Sodom and Gomora and Abuja located behind the Cocoa House.
On assumption of office, the new Mayor of Accra, Mr. Alfred Vanderpuije, has gone round and seen for himself, the deplorable conditions in the city. He has therefore decided to embark on a decongestion exercise to clear the filth, structures and check all obnoxious activities, and thereby bring sanity to the city of Accra.
As a prelude to the exercise, a two-week ultimatum has been given to petty traders and hawkers to move from the streets and pavements, while an education campaign had been launched to sensitize the people to the essence of the decongestion exercise and the obligation to comply with the ultimatum. There is no problem with that. Infact, what this does is to demonstrate a clear indication of the AMA’s concern and worry about the congestion and deterioration of Accra and its determination to save the situation. But as experience shows, previous decongestion exercise proved difficult for various reasons.
For instance political pressure had sometimes influenced the smooth progress of these exercises. Besides, the traders themselves have not helped matters as they tend to outwit the AMA task force by playing hide and seek with them. And what about those Task force members who collude with the traders by extorting money and letting them haul their wares, thereby dis-regarding all bye-laws? And then, there is the adhoc nature of these exercises. They are not sustained to drum home the seriousness of the congestion in Accra.
The AMA has started its education to eject the traders. This time round the exercise must not be allowed to fail. That means all hands must be on deck to carry it out successfully. The AMA must ensure that the exercise is well planned and executed resolutely, by checking all influences and illegal practices and providing the necessary resources as well as putting measures in place to forestall any attempt by the traders to stage a comeback as they have always done.
The traders must be told in no uncertain terms to comply with the AMA ultimatum to stop selling along the streets and pavements, refrain from engaging the AMA in confrontational attacks as well as intimidating the Authorities to halt the exercise. A spacious shopping mall has been built for the traders to operate their business. They have to re-locate to the place.
The Government must resist any intimidation and stand by the AMA in the decongestion exercise. All residents, of Accra must indeed co-operate with the exercise. Probably, the public could help by buying from only accredited malls. By so doing, they may starve the traders, thereby forcing them into their allocated sheds. Accra is the capital city of the Country and all effort must be made to make it clean and free from congestion. The new Mayor must be supported by all to make the latest exercise a success.
Let us help the AMA “to stem the indiscipline and lawlessness and make the city governable and healthy for all.
BY JOS ANYIMAH-ACKAH, ADVERTISING PRACTITIONER
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