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General News of Saturday, 20 January 2007

Source: Kojo Buabin (Ghana Palaver)

Nkrumah circle not fit for jubilee

In any civilized society, where the people know what they are about, one of the most important places of attractions as they celebrate their independent anniversary, would be monument and sights named after celebrated personalities associated with the occasion.

As the country celebrate her 50th birthday as an independent nation, most of the visitors coming into the country would like to visit sights of interest, especially places named after people like Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana.

This paper is not certain what plans the Ghana @ 50 secretariat has for the Kwame Nkrumah circle, but with only 49 days to go, one is bound to ask questions just looking at the state in which the place is. The filth, the stench, the confusion and the congestion that has become a common feature of the place.

Nkrumah circle is also the for thousands of criminals who ply their trade here with all including the Police looking on as if the activities of these criminals are normal.

Being the architect of Ghana’s independence, anything associated with the man Kwame Nkrumah, should be held in a very high esteem especially at this time, as most of the tourists visiting Ghana for the first time, would like see places named after the first President.

Nkrumah circle is a very important place for all residents of the capital city. It serves as the main transit point connecting any part of the city, it is also part of the Accra business district and is also the most popular spot when it comes to entertainment.

With only a few days to go for the jubilee, what is the Ghana @ 50 secretariat doing to ensure that Kwame Nkrumah circle tidied up?

Some of the people The Ghana Palaver spoke to do not believe the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) can seriously do anything about the condition at the place because if they would, residents of the city should have seed it by now with only a few days to go.

A regular visitor to the place would see people ease themselves openly along the edge of the Odaw river, people litter about any how, vehicles, especially commercial ones, park anywhere they want to and the place has become a home for majority of the hawkers who have no permanent residence in the city.

This is the more reason why, according some resident of the capital city, the AMA should not relent on it efforts at removing the hawkers from the Nkrumah circle.

As we celebrate 50 years of independence, Kwame Nkrumah circle becomes a very important place for the remembrance of the man who led this country out of British colonialism.