The Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Mr. Abraham Koomson, has declared the Federation's support for the proposal to establish a new administrative capital for Ghana, describing the initiative as a bold and forward-looking step towards easing congestion in Accra, promoting balanced national development and creating more employment opportunities.
Speaking on Sunday, Mr. Koomson said relocating key government ministries, departments and agencies outside the Greater Accra Region would improve national planning, enhance productivity and improve the welfare of Ghanaian workers while preserving Accra's historical and commercial significance.
According to him, Accra has for decades borne the burden of serving as the country's political, economic and administrative centre, placing enormous pressure on housing, transportation, water supply and other public services, with rising living costs and declining efficiency in public administration.
"The concentration of everything in Accra is no longer tenable. It inflates rents, chokes our roads, and forces workers to spend hours in traffic instead of being productive," Mr. Koomson stated.
He stressed that establishing a new administrative capital should not be viewed as abandoning Accra but rather as an opportunity to create a more balanced pattern of national development.
"A new administrative capital is not about abandoning Accra. It is about building a Ghana that works for all regions and all workers," he said.
Mr. Koomson argued that a purpose built administrative city would stimulate industrialisation, open up a new growth corridor, expand affordable housing and support major public infrastructure development.
"For us, this is about dignity of work and quality of life. A new capital must be a smart city, with mass transit, renewable energy, and housing that public sector workers can actually afford," he added.
While endorsing the proposal, the Ghana Federation of Labour called on the government to ensure an inclusive and transparent planning process through broad stakeholder consultations involving organised labour, employers, traditional authorities, civil society organisations and technical experts.
The Federation also recommended that the selection of the site for the new administrative capital be based on objective considerations, including geographical centrality, climate resilience, land availability, access to water resources and connectivity to major road and rail networks.
"We must avoid political expediency. This decision must be rooted in data, in long term national interest, and in a master plan that spans 50 years, not one election cycle," Mr. Koomson said.
He noted that several countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania and Brazil, had successfully relocated their administrative capitals to improve regional development and administrative efficiency, suggesting Ghana could draw useful lessons from their experiences.
Mr. Koomson said the Federation was prepared to mobilise its affiliates to contribute expertise on labour standards, occupational safety and skills development needed to support the implementation of the project while safeguarding workers' rights and promoting local content.
"We are ready to work. This is a national project, and labour must be at the table from day one," he stated.
The labour leader also commended President John Dramani Mahama for initiating the proposal, describing it as a decisive intervention that has stimulated an important national conversation on the future of urban planning and governance.
He argued that Ghana could no longer depend on one overstretched metropolis to host all critical state institutions, warning that Accra's rapid population growth had outpaced infrastructure development and placed increasing pressure on roads, housing, sanitation, drainage and other public services.
Mr. Koomson also pointed to Accra's vulnerability to recurrent flooding because of its low lying coastal location, saying the concentration of key state institutions in one flood prone area posed significant risks to national governance and economic activity.
"When Accra floods, Ghana stops. An inland administrative capital will reduce our exposure to climate shocks and guarantee continuity of government," he said.
He said the proposal aligns with President Mahama's broader vision of inclusive development and resilient urban planning, adding that it represents a shift from reactive disaster response to long term national planning.
President Mahama recently announced plans to develop a new city to serve as an alternative administrative capital, a proposal that has generated widespread public debate over its cost, location, feasibility and timing.
Mr. Koomson urged Parliament, the Council of State, traditional authorities and the private sector to approach the proposal as a national development agenda rather than a partisan issue.
"This is about the Ghana of the next 50 years. We need the political will to take difficult decisions today so that Accra can breathe, and the rest of Ghana can also grow," he said.
UTAG suspends planned strike following breakthrough in talks with govt
Policewoman under investigation over alleged phone-kicking incident in Akomadan
Respect police stops; they can save your life – Drivers told
Revised national curriculum to introduce AI, robotics and coding at basic level ...
Greater Accra Regional Hospital clarifies viral post on patient's death
Govt plans to decentralise medical education — Haruna Iddrisu
Floods affect 70 PWDs in Keta Municipality
Engineers open Kedzi-Azizadzi Floodgate to ease flooding in Keta Municipality
Interior Ministry issues flood alert as rainfall expected across Greater Accra t...
GFL demands urgent retooling of GNFS to tackle disasters
