It began Monday with what would prove to be a discerning afternoon, replete with dramatic and cascading scenes of pockets of crowds congregating in clusters of emotion, awe, surprise and resignation as men fron Accra Metropolitan Assembly, in collaboration with Zoom Lion--all clad in reflective attire--started demolishing structures, kiosks and whatnot.
All this was happening in a messy atmosphere of smoke, emanating from the furious fire of burning wood and metal.
It truly was a sight to behold.
The helplessness of those whose kiosks were being destroyed was palpable. The glimmer of hope in their eyes for a daily income must have died there and then.
But this was to be expected--for in the past few weeks, the AMA has undertaken a clean-up exercise of Accra--to rid the capital of filth before 15 countries descend into the country in January 2008 for the Cup of African Nations, to be hosted in Ghana.
Either way, the taxi driver who brought me back to the office was ambivalent. He felt that Ghanaians are too stubborn for their own good and that, whilst the situation was sad, the "squatters" had been informed as recently as a six months to a year ago.
"We Ghanaians, we are too stubborn!" he added as he fropped me off, taking my fee.
Could't agree more!!
3 comments:
I;m still surprised they actually went through with it. I expected them to threaten and then do nothing as usual.
Lets see how long after the African cup this lasts though
Ghana is truly in the middle of everything African! The AU summit had just wrapped-up when I arrived and now the Cup is coming up.
I would have loved to be there for the excitement of football pulsating through the air of Accra! I'll be staying tuned for your 'coverage' of the events. :o)
This reminds me of something that might happen here in Jamaica. The govrnment will beg the people to move and they will stubbornly remain there illegally. When the authorities go in and remove them then there is a big protest with road blocks etc!
What I do wish though, is that your govt. had provided somewhere for them to go instead of knocking down their only source of income.
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