Deliberations on Accra Millennium City Project ends

Accra, Dec. 7, GNA - Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, Mayor of Accra, on Monday said that no public school would be allowed to begin activities for the 2010/2011 academic year unless all structures were provided to end the shift system.

The Mayor expressed worry that under the system pupils attended classes for only four hours instead of the stipulated eight hours. He said the assembly would utilise abandoned structures such as the Usher Fort and the Accra Community Centre as well as appeal to religious bodies and if possible rent accommodation for the about 70,000 pupils who do not have access to quality education because of the shift system. Dr Vanderpuije said that the shift system was unfair to the country's future leaders and the measures being instituted were to arrest the situation until the needed resources were made available to build about 2,000 classrooms required in the metropolis.

He was giving the highlights of the assembly's strengths and implementation strategy at the end of a joint four-day meeting between Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and a delegation from the Earth Institute of Columbia University, to deliberate on developing Accra into a Millennium City.

Dr Vanderpuije reiterated the assembly's pledge to make Accra a modern city and mentioned some of the projects being envisaged.

These include the waste to energy project to deal with waste management, beautification of Accra and use of the swap card system for all payments to the assembly through banks or hand-held electronic device. Others are a modern technology driven management system whereby billboards, group directional signs, posters and banners would be re-organised to beautify the city and enhance the assembly's revenue base. Dr. Vanderpuije said the assembly was determined to minimise floods through the demolition of illegal and unauthorised structures and that about 75 out of 442 such structures had been demolished on the Chemu-Sakaman waterway.

He said some roads, walkways and drainages had been constructed or rehabilitated and AMA in consultation with a 24-Hour towing vehicle service company would remove all abandoned vehicles in the metropolis. The AMA boss said about 60 vehicles have been cleared off the streets and the Achimota Transport Terminal would be inaugurated soon to decongest parts of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

Dr. Vanderpuije said some health facilities in the metropolis needed improvement.

He said the assembly would continue to demonstrate its commitment to the vision by monitoring streets to prevent hawking, ensure proper environmental standards and enforce regulations on construction. Dr. Vanderpuije said improvement in the environment at Chemuana, Mamponse, Mamprobi and Dansoman would be replicated in Nima, Maamobi and New Town.

He said that there was a new awakening, responsibility and opportunities and asked Ghanaians to review their attitudes for high standards to achieve the needed vision for Accra. Dr. Susan M. Blaustein, Co-Director of Millennium City Initiative and leader of the delegation, said peculiar problems of Accra would be analyzed and appropriate remedies designed to transform the city. Last Wednesday, the assembly's vision under the theme: "A New Accra for a Better Ghana" was launched The project would address some of the city's urban and environmental challenges to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, a Development Economist would officially inaugurate the project on January 15, 2010. 7 Dec. 09