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AMA pulls down structures at Jamestown beach for fishing harbour project
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on Wednesday demolished more than 400 temporary and permanent structures at Jamestown beach to pave way for the construction of a fishing harbour.
The 60 million dollar harbour project is one of the major infrastructure projects of the government.
The Deputy Sub-Metropolitan Security Coordinator of Ashiedu Keteke, WO I Ansah told the Ghanaian Times, the project is expected to commence right after the demolition exercise.
According to him, the project is a Chinese grant and when completed would be of benefit to the whole country.
He said, the project is expected to be completed by the end of next year to enhance national development.
“It was supposed to start this March, but because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; engineers of the project had to wait. So by the end of this week, after we’re done with the demolition exercise, the project would commence,” he said.
WO I Ansah said, the AMA on April 14, 2020, issued a letter to notify the occupants of the structures to vacate the place, but they refused to comply.
“Letters have been distributed around, just that they are refusing to comply, you know how human institutions work, but we’ve no option than to clear the site for the contractor to start work,” he added.
Meanwhile, some of the affected victims who spoke to Ghanaian Times said, they were not informed of the exercise, and complained that, government should have relocated them before embarking on the project.
BY VIVIAN ARTHUR
Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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Traders have returned to the streets of Accra, occupying pavements and stretches of some roads after the last major decongestion exercise.
The exercise, which was aimed at restoring order in areas like Kingsway, CMB, Rawlings Park, Tudu etc, have now been defeated.
From Kingsway to Rawlings Park, traders display several wares including, footwear, herbal medicines, plastic products, fresh fish, second-hand clothing, and vegetables, among others.
Local Evangelists are also not left out as they scramble for spaces on the streets.
Pedestrians, therefore, find it difficult to move around when shopping, due to the human and vehicular congestion created by the traders.
In an interview with The Spectator, Auntie Abigail, a trader, said her return to the streets was to sell more, and she saw nothing wrong with it.
Hajia, who deals in wholesale items, indicated that they were unable to make sales as their colleagues move to the pavement and since customers don’t want to come inside, they prefer to buy from them.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has given traders a grace period to go back to their shops.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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