The Ga, Dangme International (GDI) an umbrella organisation of all Gadangme Association in the Diaspora (USA/Canada/Europe) has expressed support for the decongestion of Accra/removal of the squatters from Sodom and Gomorrah and also thankful to President Atta John Mills for the nomination of Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuiyje as the Mayor of Accra
In a statement read on their behalf at a Press Conference in Accra and covered on GFM Radio in London, the group stated that they are cognisant of the fact that Accra has been a commercial centre since ancient times, according to them in the 1470s it became the capital city of the Gas, and assumed the role as the Administrative capital of the Gold Coast in 1877. “The uniqueness of the city is her cosmopolitan character for the past 400years. The city has been described not only as a Gateway to Ghana but to the whole continent of Africa” the statement added.
The Group further stated that since the 1960s the city continued to grow and today it is estimated that four million people live in Accra with additional 500,000 daily commuters and are saddened by the fact that with the rapid and continued growth of Accra the city has lost her cleanliness and squatters have destroyed certain parts of the city endangering the lives of pedestrians in the city.
They are therefore proud that the NDC government with President John Atta Mills has given Dr. Alfred Vanderpuiyje the mandate to clean the city and direct the hawkers on the street and the pavement to conduct their businesses in the markets of Accra and fully support Dr. Vanderpuiyje the Mayor and Mr. Ashitey, the Regional Minister of Greater Accra to work together to fully implement the ridding of hawkers off the streets and pavements and encourage them to sell their merchandise in the markets.
Also remove all kiosks and such structure on the pavement of the city in order to allow pedestrians to walk freely on the pavement and not on the streets.
The group also urged the mayor not to tolerate any further squatters location any where in the city.
Any unauthorised structure and any future unauthorised structure anywhere in the city of Accra should be demolished and the perpetrators treated according to the laws and the local ordinances of the City of Accra. The group concluded.
