Features
Cleanest city a mirage until we get our planning right
About ten years ago while on a company bus travelling towards Accra from Awutu Senya, I made an observation and commented on it to a colleague sitting beside me on the bus. I observed that structures had sprung up and covered a wide area such that the Kasoa I knew, had grown into a big suburb. The discussion that ensued between me and my colleague led to the long held view that there is a serious lack of planning of our suburbs, towns and cities. In fact, there is no serious effort in ensuring that the layouts displaying demarcations set out in plans submitted to the Town and Country Planning Department for various areas by land owners are strictly enforced. The result is a haphazard development which impedes the execution of the planned layout for the area and therefore ultimately results in slums and makes supply of essential services to such places a nightmare.
There is a stretch of road that gets flooded anytime there is heavy rain for a considerable length of time. It lies between the traffic light on the main Kasoa-Accra highway going from West Hills Mall towards Accra and the traffic light at Atta Mills Link. This prevents motorists from using that stretch when there is flooding, creating a heavy traffic jam for motorists travelling from Kasoa towards Accra. After the floods have subsided, the road gets littered with all kinds of rubbish and mud and it is just ‘disgusting’ for want of a better word. The cause of this flooding is simply the filling up of the wetlands along that stretch for construction of buildings. When the run off which ordinarily should have been trapped by the wetlands cannot find any resting place, it is left with no option than to flow into the narrow drains created. These narrow drains cannot contain the volume of the run-off and so it overflows into the street causing the floods.
There is a perennial lack of resources in this country which require that budgetary support is sought each year from our foreign development partners. The President has come out with the idea of a ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ and to this end, every effort must be made to ensure that wastage in the system is eliminated. It is the responsibility of government to provide utility services to residential areas through agencies like Electricity Company of Ghana and Ghana Water Company Limited. When the projected revenue falls short of the projected expenditure, the government is left with no choice than to seek additional funds, usually through borrowing. When the spread of development in terms of estate residential areas is very broad, the cost in extending these services is astronomical which increases government expenditure and will impact negatively on our economy.
Agricultural development forms an integral part of this drive to generate resources and hence availability of land becomes a key issue. However, the way land is being given out to estate developers and individuals for residential purposes is a worrying situation and must be addressed. When ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ was launched in 1972, individuals bought into the idea and started miniature farms in their backyards. Schools also initiated farming projects and the enthusiasm for farming was at its peak all across the country. There was a bumper harvest across the country. Bumper harvest translates into extra revenue for the country and if there is value addition through processing, the revenue gets much bigger.
It is estimated that the country needs over 1 million housing units to satisfy the housing requirement of the nation and therefore there is some justification for the release of land for building purposes. However, there must be efficient use of available land since land is not inexhaustible. There is a population growth on the average of about three percent which means that if an efficient planning of land use is not initiated, a time would come when there will not be land available for other uses.
Land economy should be given the needed attention and one of the ways to achieve this is by putting in place a policy of maximising usage of land. When individuals acquire land and develop them, ten plots of land would have only ten flats. A high rise building on a plot of land can easily contain these ten flats leaving the remainder for other purposes. Again, the cost of supplying utility services to the individual apartments would be minimal compared to extending same to ten different apartments on different plots of land.
Modern markets like the Kaneshie Market should be the kind of market that should be established. Such markets would provide the requisite infrastructure that would enable rubbish to be appropriately handled such that the immediate surroundings of the market would be clean. Foodstuffs would also be handled well so that contamination would be reduced to the barest minimum. All these would contribute to a clean city which has a direct link to productivity.
The role of town planning officers is critical and no effort should be spared in ensuring that they are provided with the necessary resources to effectively execute their job. Effective systems should be established such that building permit acquisition becomes easier. This would provide motivation for people to get town planning involved in the putting up of structures so that buildings are not erected in waterways to create environmental problems like flooding etc. The current system for land registration is better but there is more room for improvement. The inspection role of town planning officers must be improved so that wrong siting of structures would be eliminated completely. Again, when structures are properly sited, disaster management cost would be reduced, resulting in savings that can be utilised in other sectors of the economy and the government would not have to borrow.
There must be a conscious effort to ensure that our drains are covered and the necessary studies are conducted to determine the size of drains that would be able to contain the volume of water that would flow through it without overflowing. Provision must be made for tunnels under the roads through which cables can be passed from one side of the road to the other to preserve the designed life of our roads. The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) must ensure that vehicles do not spill oil on our roads so that the life of our roads would be preserved and also prevent our streets from being dirtied.
Laud Kissi-Mensah
(The Average Citizen)
Indeed, numerous Ghanaians across the regions, all over Africa, and even people from other parts of the world were struck with sadness and grief upon hearing the sudden passing of the former First Lady of Ghana, Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, which occurred on the black day of Thursday, October 23, 2025.
Very often, it is difficult to believe the death of very high-profile persons in our communities, country, and even across the world, as recently witnessed in the passing of this indefatigable leader.
Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings was the better half of the indomitable former President of Ghana, His Excellency, the late Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, who ruled Ghana for a record period of 18 years.
His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, alongside his able men like Osahene Boakye Gyan, Akatapore, and other young army officers, shook the political foundations of this country for a brief period from June 4 to the end of September 1979. Following the general election, His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings handed over power to the late President, His Excellency Dr. Hilla Limann of the People’s National Convention (PNC), in a colorful national ceremony amidst pomp and pageantry.
Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings and other colleagues in the Ghana Armed Forces, dissatisfied with the PNC Government’s administration—which was considered volatile at the time—staged another coup to topple the Limann Administration on December 31, 1981. After a successful dispensation, he reassumed the position of Head of State under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), remaining in power until 2000 when, following the general election, he handed over power from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to former President His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It is noteworthy that from the June 4 period of 1979, stretching up to the 2000 general election, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings was very vocal in Ghana’s political administration.
Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings not only actively supported her husband to realize his political ambitions but also made a lasting impact across Ghana by tirelessly advocating for women’s emancipation in social, economic, and political spheres.
Consider her dynamic role in the formation of the 31st December Women’s Group. She established various food processing industries in multiple towns and villages to empower women economically.
There were countless other initiatives through which she encouraged and benefited not only women but also numerous families, enabling them to lead meaningful lives. For instance, the family home of Nene Kofi Opey-Fiagbor in Adjikpo-Amlakpo, Somanya, was highly privileged to welcome Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings anytime she visited.
On a Saturday in early January 1983, she visited to seek the hand of one of our beautiful sisters, Lucy Kpodjie, for Alex Dautey, who was then one of her husband’s military guards at the Castle in Osu-Accra. How can we, as a family, ever forget such a diligent, graceful, and distinguished person like her in our memories?
Your Excellency, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, your loss is deeply felt and irreplaceable for Mother Ghana. We all join the Rawlings immediate family in Accra, the people of Asanteman, the Keta people of her late husband, and the National Democratic Congress, which she helped found, alongside the President and Government of Ghana, to mourn this loss.
To a highly beloved and illustrious daughter of Ghana: may Mother Earth lie lightly upon your body as your precious soul rests in perfect peace in the bosom of the Good Lord, until the resurrection day when we shall all meet again. Fare thee well!
DAMIRIFA DUE! DUENI AMANEHUNU!
By J. K. Tetteh Kpodjie
Concerned Citizen
Somanya
0557672086
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Sometime ago, money-doubling used to be a very lucrative trade for people who had the skill. But it all depended on the availability of street-lights, which were used as accessories in the money-doubling schemes. The more street-lights that were available, the more likely it was that money would be doubled.
Money has indeed been doubled for people—civil servants, pastors, journalists, and diplomats. People suspected of being naive and carrying cash were conned into believing their money could be doubled without chanting. All they had to do was place their money under a ‘sacred’ stone, then walk in a certain direction, counting ten street-lights in the process without looking back.
“If you look back, you’ll go mad, wallahi!” they were warned, to ensure obedience. After counting the ten street-lights, participants were told to return and collect their doubled money under the ‘divine’ stone with jubilation. And for a moment, it seemed real—the cash appeared doubled. The problem, of course, was that the entire sum was nothing but newspaper cut to fit the currency size. At first, victims would be amazed, thinking they were hallucinating, only to frantically realize the trick. Meanwhile, the money-doublers would vanish miles away with the real cash.
In this era, money-doubling schemes often occur around payday, when people have just received their salaries. Those with ¢80,000 in hand could be tempted with the promise of returning home with ¢160,000. But in reality, many end up empty-handed, learning the harsh lesson of the financial culture of today.
Not long ago, Edward Alomele, who claims he is “Original Alor,” collected his pay and walked leisurely home, planning to celebrate. A wayside lottery operator noticed his bulging back pocket and thought he could easily trick him into handing over the money. But Alor was no amateur when it came to finance.
The lottery man pointed to a display of consumer items—televisions, sound systems, cookers, water heaters—and explained the game. Alor tried a sample ticket and “won” a colour television instantly. However, since he hadn’t staked money, he was told he needed to hand over his pay to claim the prize. Alor, sensing the scam, studied the man’s reaction carefully.
He deliberately wore mismatched footwear—one red canvas shoe and one green—to signal that he was not an easy target. The lottery operator realized his mistake, apologized, and acknowledged that Alor was not a naive newcomer.
Despite widespread reporting on these scams, hundreds of people fall victim every week, losing a significant portion of their salaries. Many prefer to remain silent, ashamed of having been deceived. Some notable individuals, like Devine Ankamah, have managed to dodge these traps through vigilance and experience, but the majority remain vulnerable.
Even pastors and other respected members of society have been duped by money-doublers, proving that awareness alone is often not enough. As Merari Alomele notes, “When shall we ever learn?”
This article was first published on Saturday, August 5, 1995.
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