The city of Accra is one of the most important on the continent of Africa, and is generally renowned in many parts of poorer Africa as one of the fair cities of Africa.
However, this renown may not be as a result of our maintenance culture.
The Daily Searchlight can reveal that one of the architectural structures that gives the city its beauty, the George W. Bush Jnr Highway, popularly known as N1 Highway, has virtually been taken over by a forest of weeds.
Starting from Mallam, weeds, which have taken over a year to grow, have taken over the center section of the highway or median.
In certain places, such as between the Overhead Bridge spanning the Accra to Kumasi Highway towards the Fiesta Royal Traffic Light, the weeds are so high in the middle that they have taken over as city authorities allow weeds to take control.
The N1 Highway was constructed with a grant of hundreds of millions of dollars from the government of the United States of America during the reign of President John Agyekum Kufuor.
“The Money Is Big O”
When the grant was given over a decade ago, then Minister Sheik I. C. Quaye, in high election, told a rally at Abeka Lapaz organized by the then NPP government;
“When we were coming, we wanted to come with the money, but we couldb’t. We would need articulated trucks to bring the money. The money is big o!”
Indeed Sheik I. C. Quaye was right; the investment made by the government of the United States in Ghana was truly humongous, and one would have expected that we would follow up our joy at the receipt of the money with a similar sense of culture of maintenance.
“Accra Will Be Africa’s Cleanest City in the Next 4 Years” – President Akufo-Addo Assures
In April, 2017, soon after President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, took over as President of Ghana, he pledged his commitment to making Accra the cleanest city on the African continent within the next four years.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “the commitment I want to make, and for all of us to make, is that by the end of my term in office, Accra will be the cleanest city on the entire African continent. That is the commitment I am making.”
The President made this known on Sunday, April 23, 2017, when the President of the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Council, Oblempong Nii Kojo Ababio, together with the Chiefs and people of Jamestown, enstooled him as a Chief in Jamestown, in Accra.
President Akufo-Addo was given the stool name “Nii Kwaku Ablade Okogyeaman I”, to wit “Royal Warrior; One who fights to redeem his people”, by Oblempong Nii Kojo Ababio, at a durbar held in honour of the President and First Lady at Mantse Agboona, in Jamestown.
Explaining the rationale for the enstoolment, Oblempong Nii Kojo Ababio, stated that President Akufo-Addo’s career as a human rights lawyer and an advocate of the rule of law and the restoration of multiparty democracy, is indicative of a man who has the welfare of Ghana at heart.
It is for this reason, the Chief noted, that Ghanaians reposed their confidence in him in the 2016 election, at a time that Ghanaians were dissatisfied with their living conditions. This, he added, saw President Akufo-Addo win the election with a “historic margin”, with the mandate to transform the circumstances of the Ghanaian people.
Oblempong Nii Kojo Ababio was hopeful that, under President Akufo-Addo’s tenure of office as President, “you will implement programmes and policies that will benefit all Ghanaians irrespective of the political, religious or ethnic affiliations.”
Amongst others, Oblempong Nii Kojo Ababio urged President Akufo-Addo to take urgent steps to modernize Jamestown, a move, he noted, would ramp up economic activity and bring in its wake jobs and wealth for the people.
Specifically, the transformation of the Korle Lagoon into a scenic landscape to boost tourism; the modernization of markets in Jamestown; and the implementation of the 1-District-1-Factory, the Chief added, will spur on economic activities in Jamestown and Accra.
Oblempong Nii Kojo Ababio assured President Akufo-Addo that, “we will remember you in our prayers. We will pray for strength and wisdom for you, and I ask all gathered here to unite beyond your government so as to bring prosperity to all.”
He further urged President Akufo-Addo to “leave behind a legacy which will leave the beleaguered people of Accra transformed. I know you, as a born and bred Accra person, have the capacity to transform Accra. You have capable people around you to achieve this Herculean task.”
On his part, President Akufo-Addo was grateful to Oblempong Nii Kojo Ababio and the Chiefs and people of the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Area for the honour done him.
“I am going to do everything within my power to be the measure of the title you have given to me this afternoon. I dedicate myself to the welfare of the people of Ngleshie, to the welfare of the people of Accra, and to the welfare of the people of Ghana,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo assured Oblempong Nii Kojo Ababio that “in my time we are going to bring back the glory of Jamestown.”
Touching on the NPP’s 2016 Manifesto, which pledged the construction of a harbour at Jamestown, President Akufo-Addo indicated that “plans are far advanced, and, this year, you will see the beginning of the construction of a harbour at Jamestown. It will bring jobs here in Jamestown, so the young men and women can be gainfully employed.”
The President urged the Chiefs and people of Ngleshie Alata to “co-operate with me and my government. Help me, so we can work together for the progress of Ngleshie, Accra and Ghana.”
The state of the N1 Highway today, however, demonstrates that no steps has been taken, more than four years after the fact, to make sure that Ghana becomes the cleanest city in Africa.
