Minister vows to demolish Sodom and Gomorrah

Accra, Sept. 3, GNA - Nii Armah Ashietey, Greater Accra Regional Minister, has vowed to demolish Sodom and Gomorrah, a densely populated slum in Accra, within the shortest possible time, due to the unsanitary condition of the area.

"There are places fit for human habitation and there are also places that are just not fit for human habitation and Sodom and Gomorrah is a typical example of the latter," he said.

Briefing the press after a tour of the area with the Accra Mayor, Dr. Alfred Vanderpuije on Thursday, the minister noted that lack of basic facilities such as well constructed drains, sanitary facilities and waste disposal systems had had negative impacts on the Korle Lagoon Restoration Project.

"The government has spent over 89 million US dollars on this project and removing this community would reduce considerably the volume of waste that enters the lagoon," he explained.

Nii Armah said it was disheartening to note that the area had now become a haven for hardened criminals, proliferation of small arms, filth and all other social vices that one could think of. The minister said there was no way the government was going to compensate those who would be affected by the destruction since that might amount to condoning illegality.

"Legally, the squatters at Sodom and Gomorrah should not be residing where they are presently. They had been told to leave the place a long time ago by a court when they appealed against the Accra Metropolitan Assembly's decision to eject them and lost," he said.

Nii Armah said it was worrying to note that in spite of all the filth that had engulfed the area, the inhabitants had designated an area close by as a cemetery for their dead.

He again expressed worry about poor ventilation in the area due congestion as the place was inhabited by 40,000 people crammed within an area of four acres.

He cited the elimination of persistent culture of violence, improvement in sanitation, smooth continuation of the dredging project, the enforcement of the court ruling and decongestion for easy traffic flow as some of the benefits to be derived from the destruction of the area.

"The squatting in this area has also drastically reduced the size of the markets here and by decongesting this place, we will also be able to make the allied markets in the area serve the purpose for which they are intended," he added. 03 Sept. 09