The 80-acre plot of land reclaimed from onion vendors in Agbogbloshie, Accra, now stands as a distressing emblem of failed aspirations. Initially envisioned by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) as a significant step towards urban improvement, the land has devolved into a distressing scene of open defecation and unauthorized dumping.
This once vibrant area, which had long served as a hub for onion traders, has undergone a stark transformation since the forced relocation in 2021. The GARCC’s ambitious initiative aimed at revitalizing the space now seems like a distant memory, as the site is inundated with heaps of solid waste. Instead of the envisioned improvement, the land is gradually returning to its former, environmentally hazardous state, with the pervasive presence of smoke casting a shadow over the area.
While the site has been fenced off ostensibly to protect it from encroachment, the effectiveness of this measure is questionable. The existence of easily accessible spaces, presumably intended for gates, serves as an open invitation for trespassers, facilitating their activities on the land.
Compounding the issue is the fact that the land is home to the Old Fadama Clinic, exposing both health workers and patients to a myriad of pollutants. Concerns have been raised by the public about the potential health risks associated with this contamination.
Addressing the situation, the Greater Accra Regional Minister shifted the responsibility to the Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly, asserting that the GARCC had fulfilled its role by securing the area and relocating the onion sellers and scrap dealers. Despite the efforts to curb encroachment, the current state of the land raises questions about the adequacy of these measures and the broader implications for the well-being of the community.
“It’s not the Regional Minister’s responsibility to prevent people from dumping refuse or defecating on the land.
“I took the risk of relocating the traders, something that couldn’t be done in over 30 years, so I’ve done my part, and the rest is for the assembly to protect the place,” Mr. Quartey stated.
Agbogbloshie, once deemed by environmentalists as the world’s second-most hazardous location due to its thick and acidic smoke resulting from the open burning of various waste materials, underwent a significant transformation in 2021. The Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC), as part of its “Let’s Make Accra Work” initiative, initiated the relocation of traders from the area to pave the way for future development.
The Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, subsequently revealed that a comprehensive redevelopment plan had been formulated for the land. This ambitious scheme, aimed at rejuvenating the area, was intended to undergo Cabinet approval as part of the broader efforts to enhance the cityscape.
In the same year, a segment of the reclaimed land was earmarked for the construction of a state-of-the-art health facility, aligning with the government’s Agenda 111 initiative. However, despite the passage of two and a half years since the reclamation, none of these proposed projects has come to fruition, leaving the land in a state of neglect.
Residents, who had harbored high expectations for the area’s revitalization following the relocation of onion sellers, now express disappointment. They perceive the lack of progress as an indication that the government may have had ulterior motives for displacing the traders, raising concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of the relocation initiative. The unfulfilled promises and unrealized projects have left the once-hazardous Agbogbloshie land barren, casting a shadow over the aspirations for positive change and development in the region.
A trader, who gave his name as Emmanuel Asare, said: “I was very happy when the scrap dealers who were polluting the area were relocated.
I had hopes that within a few months I was going to see new development on the land, but nothing has happened after three years since it was reclaimed,” he stated.
Alex Osafo, a security personnel at Old Fadama Clinic, mentioned that the conditions on the premises have added to his responsibilities, as he has taken it upon himself to prevent open defecation in the vicinity. He noted that some of the assigned personnel were accepting bribes from intruders, allowing them access to the area for either open defecation or dumping refuse.
“I’m trying my best to fight this situation, but I’m alone, and I can’t do it all by myself,” Mr. Osafo said.
Several onion sellers who were relocated to Adjen Kotoku have conveyed their dissatisfaction with the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) for displacing them without a clear development plan for the area.
The Chairman of the Progressive Onion Sellers Association, Smaila Iddi, expressed his disappointment to the Daily Graphic, stating that he visited the site three times and observed no indications of the government’s readiness to develop the area. Despite the presence of a wall, he was shocked to witness the undesirable activities taking place in the relocated area.
“Most of the activities that are happening there wouldn’t have happened if we were still plying our trade on that land.
“We also had our bad side, but people feared to dump refuse or defecate in the area when we occupied the land,” Mr. Iddi said.
He said even after relocating, the government had refused to provide all the social amenities promised them at their new trading centre.
“They promised to fix the bad roads in Adjen Kotoku and also construct new washrooms for us, but all these haven’t happened.
“Sometimes, we feel that they only brought us here to suffer because we’ve tried to get the attention of the authorities, but it seems they are not ready to help us,” Mr. Iddi said.
