- Where a Chief protects human dignity
At Sodom and Gomorrah, a notorious slum in the heart of Accra, there is a man who fights the cause of his 'people'. He is the Nachinaa alias Issa Idi Abass.
My name is Issa is written in front of the blue hut where he lives. The alley in front of this wooden structure is inundated with stagnated debris and on the wall grows algae. Within the house stands a sewing-machine, on which is thrown a 'boubou', against two shelves. The first is half full pieces of fabrics. The second is empty. A single bulb is dangling in the ceiling of the room. This is the Chief's palace.
A collapsible seat covered with a green cloth sits a fifty-two year old individual. In front of him, on the floor, is a young man and another to their left, is a linguist, and a translator seated on a mat. Nachinaa alias Issa Idi Abass affirms that he is concerned about the youth of Sodom and Gomorrah. '' My community is officially known as Old Fadama. I find it unfortunate that it is referred to as Sodom and Gomorrah. I tell you, when I heard this name, I feel uneasy'', said the Nachinaa. He was offended by such comments and continued; ''You know, universally, we have black sheep…'' was his explanation. He is at a loss to why his city is treated like a shelter for armed robbers, homosexuals, prostitutes, rapists, wanted persons… et cetera.
Depravity as in the Bible
In this vicinity, ''Rape is frequent. Sex has no value at all, robbery is commonplace. The community is filthy with uncontrolled refuse dumping. What would surprise the average person is considered as normal by the inhabitants. Outsiders, for fear of being assaulted outrightly decline any invitation and rightly so, because we don't spare aliens'' warned Suleiman, a resident.
Indeed, the Ghana Police have conducted numerous raids in their attempts to arrest cocaine dealers, money counterfeit networks, etc. The bloodiest raid was that of May 2002.
'The name Sodom and Gomorrah was given by the Ghanaian media because journalists have found parallels connected life on this settlement to the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah for its promiscuous life'' commented Amos Safo, Editor, Public Agenda.
According to the Nachinaa, prior to it becoming a ghetto, the community received some refugees: survivors of the Kokomba-Nanumba conflict in 1981; survivors of Dagomba-Kokomba fracas in 1994 and 2002 refugees from the Dagbon area following the murder of the Ya Naa. However, there are migrations from other parts of the country.
A dignified death
Issa Idi Abass was elected chief by the Ododiodio constituency 15 years ago. He is the spokesman for his run-down suburb. ''When one of us passes away, I'm in charge with others in facilitating his/her funeral and burial arrangements'' he said. His role is to listen to his people, help them in any case.
The Chief would like to see his community equipped with more schools seeing that the four existing primary schools with more than hundred pupils per class is still inadequate. The stumbling block is funding for both the construction of schools and a source of finance for regular salaries of teachers. Presently, only the privileged children are attending school. '' I pay 40 000 cedis on a monthly basis to my son's teacher'' confided Aboubacar.
Even Sodom and Gomorrah might be a den of iniquity, her Chief the Nachinaa has a heart to support his marginalized people to the best of his capacity.
Filth, poverty and overcrowding are the daily portion of Sodom and Gomorrah inhabitants.
At Sodom and Gomorrah, traders in alcoholic beverages, charcoal, foodstuffs… are aligned like multicolor garlands. Nevertheless customers are rare. Issa Idi Abass, in addition to his role of being chief of Sodom and Gomorrah, is also a tailor. As he confessed himself, his business has collapsed. The lack of an income made three of four wives abandon his house. '' They are gone because I can't provide for them'', said the Chief. What kind of education can he give to his thirteen children? Four of his daughters are married, four live with their aunts, only the last born who is getting some education lives with him.
At the corner of the Chief's Palace, some pots of perming cream are carefully arranged. Some packages of artificial hair are hanging at the door front. On the short fence wall is at saloon, where the hair dresser is found sleeping for lack of patronage.
Earning a living
At another junction with a tiny corridor is a small old wood planks bridge. Under it, is stagnant muddy water. Further away is a water tank with a tap. It is the public pipe. A can of water costs 1000 cedis. Close to a woman steps out of a shower. The use of washroom facilities are not gratis: 100 cedis to urinate, 200 to use the toilet.
A trail of some dark substance from dumped refuse… where some children are playing close by and a girl is washing up some plates. ''My area is now very serene but come tomorrow; you will find lots of people '' exclaimed Aboubacar. A pub with plastic sheets as curtains, two men are seated, chatting. They are surprised to see visitors. Their glances are fixed on us.
Some of the wooden huts have two floors. A half-open window gives the view of a room of about 5 square meters occupied by 15 or 20 people. ''All of these people don't sleep at the same time inside. Some of them sleep outside. However the dilemma comes during the rainy season when all of them want to sleep inside '' underlined the Nachinaa.
On the roofs of these shelters, a jungle of TV antennas and a lot of wire… Sodom and Gomorrah has telephone transmission and electricity. According to Aboubacar, people having electricity are using illegal connections others tap from them for a fee as per their discretion.
Thundering music and background sounds
A crowded street, a woman selling food seats and contemplates egg shells on the ground….. Gigantic swarms of flies flew around. A lass is kneading pastries in a big bowl, another is mixing pounded cassava in a large pan. Then a line up of houses, there is a green and white painted pub, the Passky ''J'' pot. Within, music is thundering even though it is vacant. A fridge is humming away. Outside, under a stack of wooden planks is a package of mineral water. In front of the pub is part of the lagoon. Sodom and Gomorrah is that close to it. How many people live here? Nobody seems to have the answer. Even the chief can not reply. '' Honestly, I don't know how many we are. But, I can say we are numerous…'' said the chief.
On the same line is an open-air garage. Broken down cars are parked pell-mell (recklessly). A young man is painting a rusty cooker. Behind him, is a span of the arm of the lagoon. It is dark water with a flood of waste like maggots. Children are playing on the bank; some are running around with glee. The suffocating and nauseous smell is not repulsive to the inhabitants.
On the other bank are bags full of human faeces. A little boy is responding to nature's call a few meters from a woman. In that dirt, people are searching and collecting goods. Further, a cemetery of old bikes. This setting is the kingdom of Sodom and Gomorrah.
And a governmental law fell down on Sodom and Gomorrah!
The biblical Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed by God with celestial fire. The Ghanaian government would like to clear off Gomorrahians to turn the area into a tourist spot. The inhabitants have been allocated land around 50 km from Accra. In 2002, the Court ordered them to move, but the squatters ignored that with the support of the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL). The CEPIL argued that any forceful eviction without any compensation will be a violation of the fundamental human rights. So the people continue to stay and live their own lives irrespective of the conditions surrounding them. Life goes on at Sodom and Gomorrah!
