By: Lin Collins
“We
want A.M.A and the government to see how best they can help us out of this
situation”, the traders pleaded.
The
Government of Ghana has been doing well in raising high standard of living and
low cost of living as well especially in Accra. Though this has not yielded
much over the years, I strongly believe that there are still on going efforts to
resolve these social cankers.
Though
the Government through Accra Metropolitan Assembly (A.M.A.) Mayor Alfred Oko
Vanderpuije improves upon the sanitation issues of the country, maybe a second
look should be given at the comments or the grievances that the citizenry makes
during those exercises.
I
know full well some structures in the country have been raised at unauthorised
places in the country in that no permit has been granted. In look of this, the first
question would be what has actually led to that?
Firstly,
it is hard to get a place especially in Accra to mount a structure or trade. If
hopefully you get a place, it may be a prohibited area. One reason maybe that
it is on a flood line. Implying it is a conduit which can easily be flooded by
the rain. If you are to get a first-class place with all the permissions and no
intrusions from nature possibly, then it would also be far from market or
customers. Or probably source to basic amenities. It is not really appetising
to get a place where there is no proximity to market, looking at transport,
source of goods or products and just to mention a few.
Secondly,
I will understand that there are geographers or personnel responsible to ensure
that buildings are not situated at water ways. The one big problem is that,
sometimes the personnel are very much aware of the place but simply because it
is a very busy place, where the owner can make huge sums of money, he or she
will agree. Then finally issue a permit even. After years of operation, a
building collapse or the area is over ran with flood and then the question comes
back to who gave the permit. A typical example is the Melcom disaster. Even
getting the government personnel to grant you the permission to build or put up
a structure would need a bureaucracy which can take more than a month. To make
things easy for yourself, just go and do the bribing thing. It is disgusting on
the part of government appointees. You don’t have to blame them much; they
claim low income and some incentives.
Thirdly,
with the issue of job opportunities, it would need real struggle to get one in
a reputable institution or organization. With all the bribes and corruptions
that comes with it. I understand perfectly the Government of Ghana is doing
well to clung down on people involved in those acts, yes, he is doing his best.
But the simple thing is that his best is just not enough in the country. The
government sometimes waste resources on projects that never yield. A whole lot
has to be done in curbing this particular canker in the Ghanaian society. I
also understand that not everyone in the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary
are corrupted. Nevertheless, they are a few. My mother would tell you, “It is
just one nut that spoils the whole soup.” If the authorities supposed to get
people employed are waiting for bribes to get it done, you can imagine
obviously that unqualified and people lacking the requisite cognisance would be
put there instead. I know full well management and supervision should have a
say in these appointments thing. However, if they are corrupt also, it would be
overlooked upon. All these acts lead to shoddy work done in the country so to
speak. I believe the government have to keep on struggling to get things done
well. Just good measures and policies should be implemented to ensure the issue
of unemployment are minimised at least. Yes, all levels of authorities should
be scrutinized.
Fourthly,
getting a job now a day’s seems just hard when in Greater-Accra Region, Accra
notably. When this does happens, citizenries may be forced to go into social
vices. If that option would not be landed upon, then, some wooden structures
again would be put up near gutters, near the private, the refuse dump, just any
place to go into selling or trading. With all the hells that comes with getting
a notable place in Accra to trade, one would prefer been at any place which
seems good to his or her eyes. Of course the Accra Mayor would not like this.
It contributes to so many slams and just makes the city buildings look
haphazardly built. Assuming there is a job for everyone right after the
University, it would at least minimize the rate at which people throng the
street to sell. Prostitution is not good, stealing cannot be considered,
nevertheless, and man needs to eat. That is the problem. What is the solution?
The government should ensure that as earlier said, there should be good
implementation of policies and all persons irrespective of position be faced
the long arm of the law when found guilty of any act deemed wrong in the society.
One fact is that, there is money in Ghana. Unfortunately it has been lodged in
only a few pockets.
Finally,
I strongly believe the government should do well on the provision of Jobs or
better still creating one. However, the citizenry should not always depend on
the government. No! The government already has a lot to do. There are problems
here and there to for the government to solve. It is here that you engage yourself
in doing something as the government support your perhaps. Creating job for one
self has never been easy though if we have to consider the level of Education and
some special skills needed in doing some of these jobs. In any case, it cannot
stop one from still giving out his or her best in learning a particular field
of interest to earn a living. In my opinion and a good eye on the current
situations in Ghana, one needs not depend on the government much. I know of
this ‘Dumsor’ thing myself. Obviously, I cannot complain much though.
If
the A.M.A Boss has decided to undertake such a move, it should not be a
problem. I fully understand it would increase the cost of living for the people
affected, nevertheless, we should think wide. We need to look at other ways of earning
living. On a serious note if you have just one way of earning a living, there
would be a serious problem if sources close. But wait a minute, what if we all upgrade
our handy skills and some level of education, would it not help on the long
run?
