Gadangme Union in Italy kick-start aid to Greater Accra Region

The Union of Gadangme (a Union of natives of Greater Accra Region in Ghana) in Emilia Romagna Region, Italy, has taken the first in its effort to help the Greater Accra Region.

Among areas considered for assistance are improving sanitation, stop the indiscriminate sales of the natives lands and resolving chieftancy disputes that has bedeviled the Region.

Five representatives of the Union, mandated by its members, were in Accra (Ghana’s capital) to have more information on the above situations which has also contributed to lack of progress and development in the Region. The group was led by Edmund Agbettor (the Union’s President). Other members of the delegation were Christopher Sowah Klu, (Secretary), Jonathan Adjei (Organiser), Christian Adjetey (a.k.a C.A. - Assistant Organiser) and Nii Ankrah.

Speaking before the Union members during its meeting at Sassuolo in Modena, Christopher Sowah Klu said their visit was fruitful as they went further to stop dumping of refuse at some parts of the city, Accra, a situation which has become a health hazzard to the people. The group he pointed, stepped up on its mission, when accompanied by Naa Norley of Chronicle Newspaper, visited the basin of ‘Chemu’ lagoon, located at Mamprobi, a suburb of the city.

“The lagoon served as a source of livelihood for those residing along those areas. It also acted as a source for many types of fishes including tilapia, shrimps and oysters. Today, human activities such as dumping of refuse, reclaiming of land for residence among others has led to an almost dry lagoon, what remains is a stinking gutter and very filthy areas”, he told the Union members.

The Secretary who showed the members pictures of some of the areas visited indicated if nothing is done about the prevailing conditions it will lead to diseases to those living in the area which can spread to other parts of the Gadangme land and eventually Ghana as a whole.

He mentioned in his long report that the delegation paid courtesy calls on King Tackie Tawiah III(Ga Mantse - Head of the Greater Accra Traditional Chiefs) and Nii Tettey Kpobi Tsuru (Chief of La – a suburb of Accra).

At both meetings with the two chiefs, queenmothers and elders, a wide range of issues were discussed. The delegation drew attention to the neccesity of dredging the ‘Chemu’ lagoon, the near extinction of rivers, lakes, ponds and lagoons in the Region and its side effects, the shrinking image of the Gadangme language called ‘Ga’ and its culture to the extent that the teaching of the language and the ‘Ga’ Bible is almost non-existent.

They also raised the issue of Companies on the Gadangme land doing business and not paying any ‘ground rent’ to any stool in the Region which they argued that source can generate some revenue to help development projects in the Region. Also among the discussions were: asking for the name ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’that has been given to one locality of the city to be removed, the indiscriminate sale of the natives lands, deforestationin in the Region, resolving the internal squabbles between the chiefs and people and stopping of refuse being dumped at ‘Abladjei’ – a locality in the city.

An issue at Ghana’s Internatinal Airport, Kotoka Airport in Accra, with the inscription ‘Akwaaba’ (meaning ‘Welcome’) which is not in the local language of the Gadangme people also came under questioning from the delegation. They argued the word ‘Atuu’ (in the ‘Ga’ language, also meaning Welcome) be added to ‘Akwaaba’, at the Airport.

The President of the Union Edmund Agbettor further reiterated the report given by the Secretary explaining the name ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ as part of the city of Accra does not augur well with the people of Gadangme land. “We, the Gadangme people are descendants of the Israelites and having ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ as a locality in our midst should not be entertained and we call on our chiefs and elders to have the name removed”, Agbettor mentioned, as he gave his assessment about the visit. He further told members of the Union, the delegation visit was covered extensively by the media – both Radio and TV. “We were hosted in a number of programs on ‘Obonu’ FM (a Radio Station in the city that broadcasts its programs mostly in the local language, Ga) and TV Africa,” he told his fellow natives.

At Abladjei where the delegation were on the ground to stop dumping of refuse, which was becomimg a health hazzard, the activity was broadcast LIVE on ‘Obonu’ FM.

In the concluding part of his report, Christopher Sowah Klu said they had discussion with the Company responsible for waste disposal in Accra, Zoomlion, and some MPs in the city about how effective those refuse could be utilised or disposed of. “We spent about a month in Accra but we were satisfied with what we achieved on our mission. We had the backing of the people and that worked well for us. It does seem some of the MPs and the authourities in command for the companies on waste disposals have built unsurmountable walls around them and become unapproachable but we broke down those barriers and talked to them peacefully exposing the dangers the people are facing with the rubbish and squalor, some of which cannot be exactly described. If you think of 20,000 tons of refuse being dumped at ‘Abladjei’ on daily basis then you can picture the nature of the problem and dangers involved. We had to turn away trucks carrying loads of rubbish coming to dump refuse into the area already choked with wastes expanding over a very large space,” he stated, adding: “What we want to tackle now is to get some people on the ground there to monitor the situation so our efforts will not be in vain.”

The delegation expressed their sincere thanks to Nii Adjei Klu and Dede Akrong (both of ‘Obonu’ FM), Naa Norley of Chronicle Newspaper, Naa Lamiley of the Daily Graphic, Naryi Abbey of TV Africa and other journalists who helped their course of actions during their mission.