Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has assured the people of Agbogbloshie of government’s commitment to abandon plans of ejecting them.
He also assured them of the government’s commitment to provide them with social amenities and provide better trading environment for yam, onion and plantain sellers.
The Vice President gave the assurance when he paid a working visit to the area yesterday to interact with traders, head porters and the residents.
He said the lives and living conditions of slum dwellers mattered to the government and expressed the commitment to improve the living conditions of slum dwellers.
“Slum dwellers’ lives matter. Every life matters to the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. It is the view of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that, you are Ghanaians and you deserve to live and enjoy the services of government just like any other Ghanaian will enjoy. In the philosophy of President Akufo-Addo, the life of one Ghanaian is not more important than the life of the other. Every Ghanaian matters. And we are here because the people living at Agbobloshie and Old Fadama also matter.”
“The life of the child living at Old Fadama is as equally important as the life of the child living at East Legon. We have to think about and help the poor and vulnerable in society no matter where they live,” the Vice President declared.
Vice President Bawumia announced a number of key interventions for the area, including a skills training programme for up to 2,000 kayayei, construction of four 8-seater Enviro Loo toilets, 80 bath houses, a kindergarten, installation of street lights and digital addresses on homes.
The Vice President also announced plans by the government to pave the floor of the markets, especially the yam, plantain and onion markets, redevelop their sheds and provide a 23 cubic meter refuse container to address sanitation challenges.
“Security is an important aspect of human life. Agbobloshie is a community with a population of over 120,000 people. Because of its high level of informality, it is characterised by petty crimes and grand offences. It cannot be right that a community of this nature does not have a befitting police station. As I said, when I visited the police post here, we are going to provide a fit for purpose police station for you to help in the fight against crime,” the Vice President disclosed.
“We are not saying that we are going to solve all your problems overnight, but we are going to do what no other government has done before, and provide the critical social services that will make life livable in this community.”
Vice President Bawumia was accompanied by a number of government officials, including Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development; Mr Dominic Nitiwul, Minister for Defence; Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister for the Interior; Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development; Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, Minister for Works and Housing, Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources; Nii Adjei Sowah, Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, as well as NPP officials, including Mr Sammi Awuku, National Organiser of the NPP.
BY YAW KYEI