Though it's been Sunny, More Rain Predicted in Accra

 This was the shocking front page of yesterday's "Daily Graphic" newspaper. Sadly, the lives lost are increasing, but the paper reported that we had nine perish from the devastation.

Meanwhile, today's edition reports that apart from "more rains to come", Accra is likely to get "storm drains".

I understand this is not anything new in Accra as in May, another area -- Darkuman -- was going to receive 2 million ghana cedis for the construction of such storm drains. Here's the story:

http://ama.gov.gh/accra-investment-forum/news/general-news/govt-pumps-gh-2-million-into-darkuman-storm-drain/

Make your weekend safe -- wherever you may be!

PS. Take a look at the different kind of storm drains that exist on  the web: http://www.google.com.gh/search?q=define+%22storm+drain%22&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1366&bih=529&sei=%20t9KqTr32AsKZOsLk9eIP

Torrential Rain Hits Accra... Today 26 Oct, 2011

I woke up this morning around 5.30am to the news on one of Ghana's leading private, English radio stations -- CITI 97.3 fm -- that people coming from Central region into the capital Accra were stuck because water from a bridge around the area had caused significant damage, and made roads impassable. Then came more news that people were "missing". When I heard no less than the managing-director of CITI-fm Mr.Samuel Attah-Mensa giving updates, replacing the usual religious slot at that time, I knew this must be a serious matter. I want to first begin by saying "kudos" to CITI-fm's Richard Sky (apparently up at 1am monitoring the impacts of the rains), Bernard Avle, and the MD, and the collective effort for informing us on the rains so early.

Without a doubt, other radio stations have been doing a yeoman's job of reporting the floods.

I want to use today's entry to pay tribute to all those working hard, including Ghana's National Disaster Management Organisation, to ensure that lives are saved and a sense of normality is reached for citizens of Accra. In the meantime, let me leave you with pictures I culled from news websites in Ghana. I was unable to capture my own pictures as I am blessed to live, and have woken up in an area where the water drainage is considerably better-structured.

 

By-word for Accra Traffic...anyone? How about "Trafficitis"?

Traffic has become so endemic that if we're not careful, it'll become a pandemic -- maybe trafficitis! Add a bit of occasional rainfall and you got yourself even more trafficitis.

Am unsure--as are many commentators--what the cause is. We keep blaming the never-finished roadworks and the numerous cars on the road.

Some of us are so tired of talking about it it's no longer funny...so we take pictures of traffic instead!;-)

One such picture is one I took on the famed Spintex Road--you will see "Oak Plaza Hotel" on the left there -- towards Accra. On that day, it looked like despite the rain, there would not be much traffic. Boy was I wrong! There was a bumper-to-bumper just waiting up ahead to get my finger a-clicking for a blog entry.

But I desisted. I was so bored.

Here's An Easy Case for CSI:Accra...

...if it existed!

Sure, Accra has A Criminal Investigations Department(CID) at the Ghana Police Service. They have some rudimentary training on forensics, though not quite as sophisticated as those in the teams of the "CSI:" trilogy.

But let's have fun anyway.

Supposing there was CSI:Accra, this case would be an open-and-shut case with minimum use of epitheleals. We'd see a cotton swab dabbed into that "liquid" on the tyre, have the swab sprayed -- only to realise it does not come out red, meaning no sign of blood.

A quick smell of the tyre by police dogs would blow the case wide open...they would probably wag their tail -- like Brian, of Family Guy fame, does -- when he's excited, even while still being the intellectual he is.

While there might be no Grissom equivalent to deliver a witticism, there might be a collective groan that it's only dog pee!

Have yourself a great and humour-filled weekend!;-)