Re: Accra! Love It Or Leave It – To Asase On Ga Anti-Ashanti Xenophobia

Good Afternoon Ade,
Good article and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have just arrived back in Europe after my few weeks sojourn in Ghana, Accra and else where sojourn at Accra i am in a better position to respond to your article.

I just arrived last Friday and can authoritatively say that the Ga's of Ghana are the most hospitable of all the tribes in Ghana.. Very interesting what i experience.

I agree with your thesis that the Ga's are the most hospitable tribe in the whole of Ghana. That is a fact.

As a result of the fact that i have experienced on the ground in Accra, at Dodowa , Krobo and Ada i can authoritatively say that the Ga Adangme breathren should be blessed and cherished by all Ghanaians for their commitment to the Ghana Nation Building project and the efforts which is even leading to the dissapearance of their traditions and cultural norms because they are a minority tribe in Ghana.

Indeed the Ga' have assimilated every one into their community and now believe it or not there are are mini Ga's, half Ga's , quarter Ga's or 1/8 Ga's from all regions or areas of Ghana as a result of the capital city being located there.

As far as i am concerned , this should enrich us all and make us even stronger as a multi tribal community which has many positive impacts.

Look the fact remains Accra is Ghana and Ghana is Accra!

I Think the Ga' s of Accra should be also very grateful to other areas of the country whose resources (Cocoa, Gold, Bauxite, Timber, rivers ,dams, electricity, etc) have been used to develop Accra and its environs into the modern metropolis it has become. Sadly it has become the most develop region of Ghana so all other citizens of the country will continue to gravitate to it becuase the govt is incompetent and does not understand the consequences of concentrating so many people in one place without infrastructure.

I am proud as an indigene that from time in memorial our great grand parents and grand parents and our generation have accepted our breathren from all over the geographical mass of our modern country Dr Kwame Nkrumah left for us called Ghana without question. That is the strength of Accra, the Ga's and Ghana. Accra became the capital of the Gold Coast in 1877 and that has been its Bane!

It reinforces my conviction that We are one people who are not selfish and its a strength we should be proud of.

However having returned from Accra and Ghana last Friday and experienced , the chaos, the decorative impact of a few state officials living good in the misery of poverty and mass penury in Accra and its environs and the catastrophic effects and impact of everyone wishing to come and live in Accra from the whole land mass of Ghana, i think our Governments need to do more to DECENTRALIZE POWER.

Accra and it environs will not be able to cope anymore no matter the reservoir of GENEROUSNESS of the people of Accra. Its not sustainable anymore! Period!

I went to James Town, I went to Teshie, Nungua, Labadi, Bortianor and all its outlying environs all the way to Kasoa, the Akwapim MOUNTAINS, and Afienya, all the way to Ada and Sogakope!

Accra cannot cope anymore because the infrastructure for this very small place in Ghana cannot REALISTICALLY be expected to host every one from Ghana.

Look we have abandoned the vast productive interior because the people are poor and lack opportunities and the Govet does not sadly think its its responsibility to act.

who else is going to take action apart from the Government which has been given the MANDATE to rule ?

We have to quickly convince these people in power that COMPETITIVE POLITICAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS THE ONLY SOLUTION.

Empower local people to elect their own leaders and hold them to account to create local economies, and develop their own districts so our fellow breathren,(mind you they are citizens of the modern state of Ghana and they can settle anywhere on the geographical land mass if they wish ) fellow citizens will not find the need to come and stay in Accra and its environs in other to access opportunities and make the place overcrowded and unsustainable as the place is currently is.

Accra is headin g for a disaster and i wish if you have influence with these guys in power and you would try to convince them of the alternatives available!

I went to James Town , and other places , will post the pictures later!

Regards
Stephen reporting from Accra!