Eco-Conscious Citizens Ask: "Are There Fresh Attempts To Appropriate Parks And Gardens HQ Land In Accra?"

10 months after an unsuccessful attempt on 6th September 2019 to re-zone the Parks and Gardens Department area in Cantonment, Accra, from Green Civic to Exclusively Civic, it appears a new application is being made.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officers have been spotted on Parks and Gardens HQ land conducting a survey. One wonders why so much effort is being made to build on Parks and Gardens land when the focus should be on planting, developing the Green Economy and raising awareness of the importance of green spaces. This is urgent, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Awula Sewah, Eco-Conscious Citizens co-ordinator said: “A lot of our green spaces have already been built on.  Covid-19 has reminded us of the importance of clean air, clean water, and open spaces. It is astonishing that anyone would think of re-zoning Parks and Gardens land from Green Civic to exclusively Civic in order to build a multi-storey office on Parks and Gardens land meant for greenery. Accra is prone to flooding. Plants, especially trees could make a difference in preventing flooding and generally improving the quality of life."

The President H.E. Nana Akuffo Addo has asked Ghanaians to be active citizens, and not spectators, and section 41 (k) of the 1992 constitution states that “it shall be the duty of every citizen to protect and safeguard the environment”.

Eco-Conscious Citizens call on Ghanaians to perform their constitutional duty and protect and safeguard the environment, by demanding that Ghana preserves its green spaces, and that the Ministry of Local Government & Rural Development, which has oversight responsibility for Parks and Gardens, find another place for the multi-storey office building. Our green spaces play a vital role in our health and the quality of life.

Awula Serwah
Eco-Conscious Citizens
[email protected]
0302 774344