Lets allow institutions of state to work
I would never want to be in the shoes of the Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA), Dr Okoe Vanderpuije.
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His job is a difficult one, and currently he finds himself between the devil and the deep blue sea. While the AMA boss is insisting on doing what is right for the city, by pulling down illegal structures in Old Fadama (Sodom and Gomorrah), which according to city authorities has contributed consistently to flooding in the western parts of Accra, the party that appointed him into office, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is pulling in the opposite direction.
The problem with the illegal settlement of old Fadama is a creation of the government. Since its inception, all the governments that have come and gone have sought to play politics with eviction of the settlers in consideration for votes.
The settlement was brought about in 1991, when the country played host to a conference of countries of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). In preparation for the event, hawkers in the central business district were moved to that part of the city to allow for free movement of persons and vehicles. With the conference over, the traders were left intact and a market evolved.
Migration down south
About a year or two later, ex-combatants and persons forced to flee from their homes in an armed conflict between the Konkombas and Nanumbas in the North of the country were brought down to the site to settle as internally displaced persons or, if you like, refugees.
The big idea behind their relocation was that when the conflict subsided, these people would be taken back home. But that was not to be. With time, as a result of urbanisation, the population at the settlement, which had by then assumed the name Sodom and Gomorrah, kept increasing.
Because the place was considered a temporary trading post for market women and a temporary settlement for displaced persons, the city authorities did not put in place proper sanitary facilities.
In fact the settlement lacked plan; there were no schools, no toilets, no refuse collection point and no recreational centre.
The people, under the circumstances, resorted to doing their things on ‘free range’ and ‘thankfully’ there was a flowing stream close that could carry their waste away.
Lack of planning
In a manner typical of leaving things unplanned, the rains began to expose the lack of a programme that was to ensure respectable living for the people, that is, if indeed it was intended for them to stay there.
In the early stages of revelations regarding the inadequacies of the place, the AMA, as the city authority, ought to have put its foot down and taken a firm decision on the fate of the people, but it did not, it behaved indifferently.
It is worthy of note that during the period also, another dimension, population growth had set in and the politicians saw in it an opportunity.
So for many years, the AMA has sought to eject the people from the land in view of their contribution to the swell of refuse and debris that pour into the Odaw stream, polluting it and giving rise to flooding whenever it rains heavily.
However, it has always found it difficult to do so because of political pressure from the powers that be. The politicians do not consider health and other risks to the people, they rather see votes from smiling faces.
Last straw
The AMA saw the flood and fire disaster of June 3 this year as the last straw that broke the camel’s back, and as such moved in to clear the place to make way for dredging of the Odaw stream, but once again, its efforts are being impeded by NDC apparatchiks.
Their problem is that the chief executive of the AMA was narrowing the chances of the party to win the Odododiodio Constituency come 2016.
This habit of making politics out of everything in this country is becoming indecent and will be our undoing if care is not taken.
Let us not forget President Barack Obama’s admonition to us to allow the country’s institutions to work. It is only by doing so that we will get the processes of development to work smoothly.
Option to go back home
But, while I would like the AMA to go about its duty to residents of the city unbridled, I think, however, that the way they went about pushing the people off the land was somewhat too brash.
Even though attempts have been made over the years to eject them, calling on them to leave with only about a week’s notice was rushed I think.
A lot of awareness and sensitisation programmes with regard to why it was necessary for them to leave ought to have been undertaken, regardless of how many times they have been told in the past.
Furthermore, just as it is done elsewhere for refugees and displaced persons, the option of transporting those willing to go back home should have been offered so we do not have many people losing their properties after many years of toil.