In the land of squatters where anything goes
In our neighbourhoods, it is very common to see uncompleted buildings. Some of them look like work in progress, while others show no sign of ever going to be completed. Most of them, no matter how plush the area and the level/ stage of completion, are serving as homes to some families.
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Some of those who inhabit these uncompleted structures are caretakers; others are invited to live in these buildings by the caretakers, while the rest, out of desperation to find a place to lay their heads, find their way into some of these buildings. They are squatters.
Effects
No matter the situation, human beings living anywhere have certain characteristics. They will certainly eat and, therefore, defaecate; they will drink water and subsequently urinate; they will bath and they will create some waste. They will procreate and, therefore, their offspring will also produce more waste.
Living in uncompleted buildings is not a problem. In fact, many move into their houses before they are able to gradually bring them up to a completed stage, according to their taste.
The problem, however, is that with no proper facilities that aid daily living and sanitation, these squatters have become a nuisance in many neighbourhoods.
Obviously, the phenomenon of squatters is a contribution to the insanitary conditions we find in our neighbourhoods. To the extent that even if one keeps his or her house and its surroundings clean, he or she would still be confronted with the filth created by these squatters. If you paid for your rubbish to be collected, they would still dump theirs anywhere.
They make so much noise and quarrel frequently, thereby disturbing the peace in the neighbourhood.
The serious thing is that, from the abode of some squatters come a large supply of street-vended cooked food. Waakye, banku, koko , ampesi, fufu, you name it, are sold to the unsuspecting public under very unhygienic conditions.
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Illegalities
Another observation is that some of these squatters are able to tap electricity and water to their habitats and may not be paying anything for the use of these utilities. The effect is that utility providers would not get the revenue needed to keep providing service and those who pay for the service would be burdened with extra bill.
In addition to this, the abode of squatters, more often than not, serves as safe havens for criminals. With no fixed addresses, they cannot be tracked down by the police because at one moment they are squatting here and then the next they are at another place.
Ejection
In spite of these problems, what almost always happens when action is initiated to eject squatters is a cry that the government has to resettle them.
Some of the squatters even go on to ask for compensation. And sometimes, for the lack of political will, the situation is allowed to persist, thereby encouraging others to follow suit.
The challenge I can foresee in ejecting squatters living in structures without facilities that aid good sanitary habits is how to deal with those in private property. For example, how would the authorities enter private property to check whether those who live there are squatters or not and under what conditions they are living?
In any case , the authorities have not even been able to deal with completed buildings with no toilet facilities, prompting people living in them to defaecate anywhere.
But can we develop as a nation if we continue to live like this with people turning wherever they like into their homes etc.? Why should the authorities allow people to settle or live anywhere they wish illegally and then become a problem before the authorities even want to initiate action to eject those people?
While we still grapple with how to dispose of our rubbish, we should also look at the situations which compound the problem of the very dirty environment we find ourselves in.
All too soon, the year has gone round and staring us in the face is that time of the year when we are inundated with the outbreak of cholera.
We must obviously be expecting another season of cholera because we have not done what it takes to prevent it. It is simple: once we continue to live in filth, with no clue as to how to dispose of our refuse and raw sewage; and continue to have the same attitude of throwing rubbish indiscriminately, we cannot expect different results.
The attitude of our assemblies and authorities towards unplanned structures springing up anywhere and everywhere in Accra and other cities has also only helped to compound the already bad situation we find ourselves in.
Most of these structures do not come with the requisite facilities such as toilets and rubbish receptacles that help us to maintain a hygienic environment.
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Most public places like drinking spots, hairdressing salons and even chop bars and restaurants lack decent toilets.
The phenomenon of squatters is surely one of the situations contributing to the bad sanitary conditions in our neighbourhoods and if we do not tackle it now, we will always be haunted by the effects — cholera and related diseases.
Writer’s e-mail : doreen.hammond@graphic.com.gh