No Room for Politics in Accra City Decongestion!

The new mayor of Accra has given street and pavement hawkers up to June 15, 2009 to relocate themselves to the appropriate spaces provided for them. The Mayor has committed several information vans broadcasting in various languages to the masses throughout the metropolis on his impending intention – RID ACCRA OF FILTH.

Can he achieve it? That is the big question! So far, the response from the hawkers appears to be that of obstinate stubbornness – “we won’t leave the streets unless they provide cheaper and affordable spaces for us”. He certainly is not the first Mayor to attempt the feat but I think a clean Accra can be attained.

It can be attained not because the new mayor has any extra ordinary skill or personality but because we all must support the move. Attempting to implement this laudable policy now, more than three years to election 2012 removes albeit electoral pressures of the voters from the NDC. The immediate past mayor of the city failed in a similar attempt essentially because he could not convince himself and his own party wigs of the need for the exercise and also because it was close to an election year.

But even worse than that, when the political pressure began to bear on him from within his own party that chasing hawkers off the streets of Accra was a dangerous act that would cost the party votes in an election year, one would have expected him to insist or resign on the grounds of principle if he had any, on the grounds that ridding Accra of its filth is beyond any partisan interest but I guess because his position mattered more to him than any principle, he was cowed into submission and the exercise that started so well ended up as a nine days wonder. Filth and hawkers had their way!

Mayor Adjiri Blankson like all previous Accra mayors before him including Enoch T. Mensah, from 1983 – 1991, Mr. Nat-Nunoo Amarteifio, from 1994 – 1998, Mr. Samuel Adoquaye Addo and Mr. Solomon Ofei Darko who was fired on January 14, 2002 lost a wonderful opportunity to print his name in gold in the history of Accra. He lost an opportunity that would have earned him the respect of well meaning Ghanaians but rather he chose the path of sycophancy. Ridding the streets of Accra of filth and hawkers is a move that will benefit not only the NDC, NPP, Opposition or any particular group. Accra and indeed Ghanaians are the ultimate beneficiaries.

The success of the new campaign led by Dr. Alfred Vanderpuije depends a lot on the strong political will of his government and politicians especially from the opposition party NPP. It is true that the NDC exploited previous attempts by the NPP appointed Mayor to their political advantage. Achieving a clean Accra is something that must be done irrespective of which party is in power.

If we (NPP) frustrate the attempts of the NDC to correct this social ill, it will only be postponed to a time when we return to power and who do we count on for support at the time? I therefore wish we use a multi-partisan approach in addressing the sensitive problem of sanitation. There should be no room created by any party to demonstrate to the hawkers that a particular party or group supports or is prepared to condone them. When malaria and sicknesses strike due to the filth, it does not know who is NPP or NDC. Financial resources that would have been saved and better spent on some other aspects of the economy would be spent on malaria and related disease treatment.

Dr. Vanderpuije must be prepared for hostilities and pressure especially from friends and foe alike including his kinsmen and party folks but he must not relent. He should be resilient even if it will cost him his job. He should be prepared to resign on the grounds of principle. President Mills should also not hesitate to fire the Mayor if he fails to succeed.

The NPP I think will not dare take sides unreasonably with any of the parties. NPP should rather use the opportunity to tell Accra and indeed Ghanaians that they are for the development and modernization of our cities. Just as we seek for the depoliticization of petrol pricing let’s seek a similar end to the cycle of hypocrisy and sycophancy on the issue of sanitation in Accra. We can not because of emotions and sentiments continue to breed illegalities.

These same hawkers and officials will travel to the Singapore’s, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Europe and not only conform to the laws there but also extol the orderliness in their streets. Why should we accept any lesser standard?

Nana Attobrah Quaicoe