Bukom Square Area Not For Sale

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, 14 July 2006
The Mayor of Accra, Nii Stanley Adjiri-Blankson, has stated that neither the government nor the Accra Metropolitan Assembly intends to "hijack" Bukom Square and sell it to foreigners.

Bukom Square, located in the heart of Accra, is the venue for public gatherings and a place of historical and sentimental significance to the Ga people.

Nii Adjiri-Blankson said this last Thursday when Numo Blafo Akotia Omaetu III, Chief Priest (Wulomo) of Asere in Ga Mashie in the Greater Accra Region, paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Accra.

Numo Omaetu’s visit was to show his appreciation to the Mayor and the assembly for sponsoring him to read Diploma in Communication Studies at the Africa Institute of Journalism, a private communication training institute in Accra.

The Mayor said that for sometime now, any attempts by the assembly to embark on projects to uplift the standard of living in Bukom and its environs are met with fierce resistance from the people.

"We need to start educating our people to stop reading meaning into any attempt to facelift the Bukom area since we are seriously lagging behind in development".

He said the Ga State "has lost a bite in leadership" and that had led to a high rate of indiscipline, especially among the youth.

"Bukom and other places have become ‘no go’ areas. .Our people have turned the streets into dwelling places and nobody seems ready to correct the situation," he said.

Nii Adjiri-Blankson said unemployment rate is very high in the area, "yet when you attempt to offer them jobs, they will attach conditions to the offer".

"This cannot continue. The time has come for all Gas in high positions to come together and find a common solution to the problem because our people cannot live in this situation forever", he added.

The Mayor commended Numo Omaetu for taking the initiative to educate himself saying, "this is an eye opener because it will bring dignity and respect to the Ga traditional institution".

He urged all traditional leaders to emulate Numo Omaetu assuring, "the assembly is prepared to support such efforts".

Numo Omaetu promised to use his experience acquired from the studies to restore and protect the cultural heritage of the Ga people.