With just a couple of days to go for the CAN 2008, The Chronicle can report, on authority, that all is not well with Ghana's preparations towards the event.
In the last couple of weeks, the paper has raised concerns about the increasing levels of filth in Accra, the capital city, which will be playing host to the continent's biggest soccer fiesta.
Head of the Waste Department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr. Ben Laryea, admits there are a few hitches in the collection of refuse in the capital, which he says keeps increasing the levels of filth in Accra.
He attributed the poor sanitary conditions in the capital to the lack of funds, which has resulted in a situation where most of these contractors have adopted a cold attitude towards the collection of refuse.
Due to this the Assembly had engaged the services of waste management contractors, Zoomlion and Hellecom, to work round the clock to rid the city of filth.
That notwithstanding, Mr. Laryea has given his word that his outfit is working tirelessly, with the existing contractors, to clean Accra before the kick-off of the tournament.
The problem with sanitary conditions in Accra keeps growing, from bad to worse, for the simple reason that the AMA is unable to settle its indebtedness, of well over ¢75 billion, to solid waste management contractors.
This came to light in the course of the paper's investigations into the worsening sanitary condition in the capital city, which grows from bad to worse with each passing day.
The amount, which happens to be arrears running from the period of 2006 to date, represents the total debt owed 18 solid waste contractors in Accra, who form part of the core membership of the National Waste Contractors Association.
A walk through some of the principal streets and suburbs of Accra tells it all; mountains of refuse, stinking gutters and dud streetlights.
The paper took a walk through some of the streets and communities within the metropolis, including the central business area, Kaneshie, Kwame Nkrumah Circle and the Korle-Bu mortuary road, and realized how bad the situation had become.
In the central business area, one will see overflowing refuse containers, with refuse sprawling on the streets, whilst the choked gutters stink.
The situation becomes worse, when one gets to visit areas like, Korle-Gonno, James Town, Nima, New Town and Alajo, all in the heart of the capital.
Residents in these areas told The Chronicle how tonnes of refuse have been left unattended for the past three weeks to one month, thereby resulting in mountains of filth and choked gutters.
In spite of the series of campaigns and sensitizations on the need to keep the city clean, some unscrupulous Ghanaians have cultivated the habit of littering the streets and pavements of Accra with empty sachet water bags, other plastics and papers.
In this era of civilization however, it is has become a common practice in Ghana to see passengers dropping litter from vehicles, while drivers stop to pick passengers at 'No Stopping' spots.
Quite serious, is the situation prevailing at the Kwame Nkrumah circle, where some pedestrians have deliberately abandoned the use of the footbridge and risk their lives crossing the always-busy double lane road.
In the full glare of the police, it is absurd and indeed mind-boggling how people, including those well-dressed in suits and ties, supposed to be ladies and gentlemen climbing over the wall constructed in the middle of the road in an attempt to cross to the other side.
Though this happens in the full glare of the police, no action is taken against such people since it is gradually being accepted to be the norm.
This filthy and ugly scene exists at most of the lorry parks, where city authorities appear to be doing very little about the situation, though fans and supporters of the various participating teams in the CAN 2008 soccer fiesta have started arriving into the country.
Quite unfortunately, most of the streetlights that were installed have also gone dead.
A walk on some of the streets and pavements of the city appears to be quite dangerous, since most of these streetlights, which were installed barely 5 months ago, are not functioning.
Typical is the Korle-Bu Mortuary road, and in most of the individual communities.
For the Awudome cemetery area and on the Korle lagoon bridge, the little said the better, since there appears not to be a single streetlight pole installed there.
