ACCRA, THE TIME BOMB: A CALL FOR TRUE DECENTRALISATION

The names of three cities usually come up whenever the major cities within the country are listed. Takoradi, Kumasi and Accra are the main cities within the country in terms of infrastructure, population, education, industrialization, among others. Although Takoradi and Kumasi are two of the main cities, all can attest to the fact that Accra is the number one on the list.

In Ghana today, it is evident that the development we talk about each day has one city as the focus or reference; the city of Accra. All the major institutions, ministries, manufacturing companies and industries have been sited within the greater Accra region. Each major addition to the nation’s list of cooperate entities has to be automatically cited in Accra. Although there are ten regions within the country, it is sad to note that attention has always been directed at Accra to the neglect of the other regions. A visit to the other regions of the country clearly reveals the underdevelopment within. A lot of regions within the country cannot boast of any major infrastructural development. In terms of transportation, there is still a great deal to be done although efforts have been made. In terms of health, the story is really sad. Most of our regions cannot boast of adequate health facilities. A lot of emergency cases have to be referred to Accra or Kumasi ultimately leading to loss of lives. Even when it comes to social amenities like water, electricity, the conditions are no different. Education which is a priority in most countries is also suffering this same deprivation in towns and cities within the other regions of our dear nation.

With all that is happening, there is one grave issue that we all seem to have lost sight of: what becomes of Ghana today should Accra be faced with a major disaster? From all indications, the economy of our nation will suffer a major blow should the city of Accra and its environs be faced with a major disaster.

Disasters have struck various nations in recent past and so as a country, we ought to start considering some of these issues and make provisions to forestall the effects of such occurrences. The study of the seismicity of Ghana indicates that the greater Accra region is one of the most earthquake-prone areas within the country. Earthquakes occur as a result of tectonic activities and also as a result of pore pressure buildup within the earth. Movement of tectonic plates or continental drifts sometimes results in earthquakes. Also, the sudden release of the pore pressures built up within the earth can also result in earthquakes.

Most people are of the notion that earthquakes can be predicted but in truth, earthquakes can never be predicted. To predict an earthquake requires a forecast of the time, magnitude and location. Scientists are able to warn of earthquakes as a result of some physical changes within the earth and in the environment. These include rise in water levels, abnormal animal behavior, earth tremors, among others but of course, these are not enough indicators of seismic activities since the exact time of occurrence cannot be predicted and the consequence of this is what we have witnessed over the past years in various countries e.g. Haiti.

Over the years, other natural occurrences apart from earthquakes have resulted in several loss of life and properties in other countries. These disasters have occurred as a result of some natural occurrences e.g. climate changes, and also our personal mistakes. Disasters are occurrences for which we have no control over and most of the time not planned for. Even for those that we have some form of control, there is no guarantee of the outcome. Even in countries where emergency plans have been put in place to forestall the effects of some disasters, we have all witnessed the extent of the damages caused. Most of these countries are still recovering from the damage to property although some are irreparable; life lost is irreplaceable.

As a country, it is obvious that we are only interested in providing infrastructure and institutions, in the name of progress and development but we have not made concrete plans or emergency plans should we be faced with some major disaster as has been done in other countries in line with development. As a country, we have put all our eggs in one basket, the basket called Accra. What becomes of our precious nation today if we are faced with a major disaster as has happened in other countries. It has happened in other countries and can equally happen to us. Have we learnt any lessons at all from what happened in these countries or must we always be caught unawares although we are very much aware? Considering the increasing population in the greater Accra region as a result of migration, can we afford to throw caution to the wind?  Will we be able to deal with the depth of destruction, loss of life and damage resulting from a major disaster should it occur within this region?

In the past, several countries have taken certain decisions that have served as a form of national security, one way or the other. Nigeria moved its capital city from Lagos to Abuja which is one of the best ways of ensuring even or uniform development within a country especially when the capital become congested. South Africa as a country has got three main capitals. Cape Town is the legislative capital, Pretoria is the administrative capital whiles Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. With this decentralization, governmental institutions within the country have not been concentrated within one city but have been spread to other parts of the country and all are functioning effectively.  These measures in a way ensure uniform development within the country.

It is evident that as a nation, we have a long way to go. Although several people in the past have called for decentralization, the truth is that this decentralization is yet to be realized since every major institution has been sited in Accra. As a country, should we be faced with any major disaster, what would be the escape route or emergency action? How many international standard airports can we boast of? Is the National Disaster Management Organization equipped enough to handle any major disaster? What about the fire service, police service or the military? What about health care? How many of our hospitals are well resourced to cater for any disaster? Even the existing ones cannot adequately address the needs of citizens.

The local government act 469 was implemented to ensure division of labour, even and speedy development within the nation through the coordination of affairs from all parts of the nation and by all people involved. With this act, districts were created with executives and all were given the mandate of ensuring that the needs of people at the district and grassroots levels were met. Most agencies or institutions within the country have established branches within the various regions to help in the efficient administration but from all indications, most of these regional branches, divisions or representations are not functioning as they should. Whatever transaction one wants to carry out is forwarded to Accra. Although branches have been established in other parts of the country, these branches have no power at all to take decisions since the power comes from above; Accra. Even when it comes to entertainment, the best is always reserved for the greater Accra region to the neglect of the other regions. This is a wake up call to all!

In the past, various governments have tried finding lasting solutions to our rapidly increasing urban migration in the country and have failed in this attempt. It is clear that the failure of these attempts is linked to our poor or failed decentralization. For most people from the rural areas, the only USA or London they know of is Accra. Yes, a lot of people believe they cannot succeed unless they live in Accra and that is in truth, valid. When it comes to employment, most short listing and interviews are done in Accra. When it comes to the entertainment industry, most attractive deals happen in Accra. Anyone leaving any of our rural areas in pursuit of greener pastures ends up in Accra. All roads ultimately lead to Accra. The end result of this is the overcrowding of our capital city leading to increased traffic and its associated crime.

Until we learn to take decentralization more seriously as a nation, the traffic problems and crime increment we face as a nation would keep on increase. It is about time we start looking for an alternative capital city for our country since in the event of a major disaster taking into consideration the extent of industrialization in the greater Accra region, we might not survive as a nation.

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