In an incredible development, weeds seem to have overtaken all the medians and central reservations of all the principal streets of Accra.
It does not matter where one turns or one goes, from Osu into Accra by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation Road, from Kasoa into Accra, from Pokuase into Accra, from Tema into Accra, weeds have taken over the central reservations of the city of Accra.
Accompanying the weeds is the filth and disorder of central reservations that clearly are not tendered by any human hand. This is at a time when there is mass youth unemployment and the Department of Parks and Gardens is dying from lack of financial support.
Hon. Henry Quartey- Greater Accra Regional Minister
Several weeks ago, the Daily Searchlight drew attention to this phenomenon, but interestingly, no official in the affected sector seems to care.
I’ll make Accra cleanest city in Africa — President
In April, 2017, soon after President Akufo-Addo came to power, he pledged to make Accra the neatest and best city in Africa by the end of his first term of office.
“The commitment we are making and which I want you all to make with me is that by the time we end our four-year term, Accra is going to be the cleanest city in Africa,” he stated.
He, therefore, enlisted the support and co-operation of the people of Accra in making that dream a reality.
The President made the pledge in an address he delivered after he had been installed a chief by the people of Jamestown and the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Council under the title Nii Kwaku Abladey Okudzeaman I, which means ‘Royal Warrior who champions the welfare of his people’.
His wife was also honoured with the stool name Naa Korkor Abladey Okudzeaman I.
Restoring the beauty of Accra
President Akufo-Addo said the beauty of the national capital had deteriorated over the years as a result of various human activities that had destroyed the once glorious city.
He recalled that when he was growing up in Accra, the Jamestown area was the centre of the city, but said history had taken that away from the good people of the area.
“In our time, we are going to bring back the glory of Jamestown and British Accra,” he stressed.
He said during the campaign time, he promised the people of the area that if he was successful, he would construct a fishing harbour there, and announced, to the delight of the gathering, that plans were far advanced for that project and that by the close of the year, they would start seeing physical work taking place.
When that was completed, he said, “it is going to bring jobs back to Jamestown and restore the lost glory of the area for its young men and women to live gainful and productive lives”.
New municipality
The President also acceded to a request by the chiefs of the area for the creation of another municipality for New Gbawe and Bortianor and promised that he would look at the proposal, together with the Greater Accra Regional Minister and the Mayor of Accra.
He said the steps being taken to clean up the Korle Lagoon were important for the welfare of Accra and its people.
It was unfortunate, he said, that just like the harbour for the area during former President Kufuor’s time, plans were made and the sod was cut but, since then, nothing was done.
He gave an assurance that those projects would be completed by his government.
Transformation of Ghana
“The transformation that we want for Ghana is a kind of transformation that will cover all parts of the country and Jamestown will not be left out,” he pledged.
President Akufo-Addo was hopeful that with what his government had in mind for the development of Accra, by the time the nation went for its next polls, the Odododiodoo Constituency, which currently belongs to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), would fall to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
On his new title, he said the chiefs of the area had given him a title that was noteworthy and noble and a standard by which he should measure his life.
“I am going to do everything within my power to live up to the standard that you have given me. I dedicate my life to the service and well-being of the people of Accra, Ngleshie and the whole of Ghana,” he stressed.
Accra on course to becoming cleanest city in Africa – Cecila Dapaah
In February this year, soon after she had been renominated as the Minister for Sanitation, Madam Cecila Dapaah asserted that despite missing the target of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa by 2020, the plan is still on course.
According to her, the target was yet to be achieved because “when you start a process, it takes time to yield results.”
President Akufo-Addo in 2017 declared his government’s intention to make Accra the cleanest on the continent by the end of his first term in office.
Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, Mrs. Dapaah said, “Accra is on course to become the cleanest city that the President said in absolute terms. I think we are on course looking at what we started doing and what I continued from my colleague.”
Nine months after appearing before parliament, it seems that at least on one front, that is on the front of the battle to keep the weeds out of Accra, the battle is lost.
