The National capital is the pride of every country as it gives visitors and the world a bird’s eye view of the country. National capitals are associated with order, cleanliness, beauty, security and a high level of discipline and development. Accra as the National capital epitomises dirt, disorderliness, indiscipline, chaos, lawlessness and insecurity. One lives in Accra at your own risk. If you have visited other capitals the world over or even travelled extensively to other regional capitals in Ghana, it will dawn on you that Accra is unsurpassed in its negative attributes.
We the members of the PNF are calling on the government to constitute a committee of experts to extensively consult and research into relocating the capital and come out with an appropriate location to site it. There could be a national debate after the submission of their report to on the location, the amount of money to be invested and even the time period within which the relocation will take place. For example, a period of 10 years will give planners, engineers, property developers, businesses among others ample time to prepare and to relocate.
The current situation of insecurity and lawlessness is unsustainable. The situation where law enforcing officers have become the breakers of the law must be broken away from. There is a government that has been duly elected by the people of Ghana and yet we have a parallel government (chiefdoms) developing. If we are going to have three Ga chiefs (each taxing us) in the capital with its attendant security implications for citizens and foreign direct investment, we will have to think hard and deep as to whether it is worth having our capital located here.
Land and housing has become unnecessarily expensive and structures are wantonly sited causing flooding, traffic and even fire. Driving through Accra has become a war like situation where you will have to literally bully your way through while abusing others or get abused. This cannot be allowed to go on forever. The time to act is now and the permanent solution to this chaos is relocating the national capital.
We recognise the fact that the decision to relocate the national capital of Ghana is a major decision with its political ramifications, but us a people we will have to stop being the proverbial ostrich who buries the head in the sand. We can reach a consensus and come out with a bipartisan agreement on where to locate and when. The implementation process will span a period that maybe transcending two governments.
Nigeria is a fine example of changing a chaotic capital from Lagos to a more decent and planned one in Abuja. Cape Coast was the capital under the Gold Coast from 1821-1877 and was changed to Accra from 1877- 1957 and has continued since. We are edging President Mills to be bold and take this major decision and leave your footprints in the sands of time as a President who took major difficult decisions to the benefit of all.
God Bless Ghana
Richard Nyamah
Fred Amankwah Sarfo
