Pedestrians Shopping Mall traders face ejection

The construction of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange would lead to the demolition of shops in the Pedestrian Shopping Mall located a few metres away from where the project would cover.

A three-tier interchange, which would cost 74 million Euros, is expected to replace the existing roundabout to reduce traffic congestion in the area and would be completed in two years. Construction works have begun.

In all, about 400 shops would be pulled down to make way for the construction of the interchange.

However, traders at the Pedestrian Shopping Mall, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, expressed their displeasure at the ejection of some of the shop owners to make way for the construction of the interchange.

The chairman of the Pedestrian Shopping Mall Traders Association, Mr Charles Kwarko, said “we are speaking to our lawyers and we will soon go to court over the matter.”

He explained that about 18 months ago, two officials of the Department of Urban Roads held a meeting with the members of the association and announced that work on an interchange would soon start.

Mr Kwarko said the Urban Road officials assured the traders that the market would not be affected directly, though it might affect their business indirectly as the construction of drains in front of the Pedestrian Shopping Mall might make it difficult for buyers to access the mall.

The chairman of the traders association said they were also informed that the pavement and fence of the mall would be removed, while the blockage of the main Odwana Canal would breed mosquitoes and “that may be one of the problems we would face while the construction starts. There was no mention of us losing our shops here in the mall.”

However, Mr Kwarko said in July 2013, the traders saw some surveyors in the mall with measuring equipment “but we were not alarmed since we knew about the construction of the interchange and we also knew it would not affect us.”

He said “later more surveyors visited the market without a word to the leaders of the association and on the fifth time, we finally confronted them and found out that they were marking the points where the construction would affect.”

Mr Kwarko stated that officials of the Department of Urban Roads later took the details of the affected persons, including their names, phone numbers, shed numbers and type of structure.

A few days later, Mr Kwarko said, the association received a letter from the Department of Urban Roads, signed by one Alex Asamoah,which stated that  a compensation package was being prepared for the affected persons.

The letter dated September 9, 2013 was spotted by the Daily Graphic with data on the affected victims attached to it.


By Emelia Enin-Abbey/Daily Graphic/Ghana
http://graphic.com.gh/General-News/pedestrians-shopping-mall-traders-face-ejection.html

 

Design rating system for assemblies -Govt directs EPA

The government has directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to design a performance-based rating system for district assemblies to assess the efficient use of financial resources.

This is expected to inform the future allocation of funds to the district assemblies depending on the efficient use of their resources.

The Director of the Manufacturing and Industry Department at the EPA, Mr Lambert Taabeluon, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, after interacting with representatives of civil society groups at a two-day workshop in Accra, explained that the Presidential directive followed the success of the EPA's special rating of mining companies under Akoben.

The capacity building programme organised by KASA Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, was to enlighten civil society organisations working in the natural resources and environmental sector on the recent EPA public disclosure of the environmental performance of mining companies in the country.

Mr Taabeluom said the move followed a directive given to the EPA by President John Dramani Mahama that would be implemented next year, to track the use of funds at the district level.

Rating system
The new system for the district assemblies would monitor the rate of development at the district level considering how district assemblies use their share of the common fund allocation to address the needs of communities.

Mr Taabeluon explained that although the indicators are yet to be developed, the main criteria would include auditing of the use of funds from government for development projects.

He said the EPA was expected to come up with indicators that would cover district Assemblies by the year 2014, along the lines of the Akoben ratings.

Akoben
Akoben, an EPA initiative, audits the environmental practices of mining companies using five colours of red, orange, blue, green and yellow, to determine the company that performed badly or best.

Since 2008, the ratings of companies covered under the Akoben have been disclosed publicly annually.

Model for oil companies
Mr Taabeluom said a new model had been developed for oil marketing companies and the hospitality industry.

He said the model for the hospitality industry would cover hotels rated three to five stars.

'The indicators are ready and we will, among other things, look at their water usage, waste management measures, and generation of renewable energy to ensure efficient use of resources.'

By Emelia Enin/Daily Graphic/Ghanahttp://www.modernghana.com/news/493777/1/design-rating-system-for-assemblies-govt-directs-e.html

 

Spiritual enclave to be created in Achimota Forest

A spiritual enclave is to be created in the Achimota Forest Reserve to accommodate the religious groups that have been praying there.

The creation of the spiritual enclave forms part of moves to convert the forest into a major eco-tourism destination in Ghana and West Africa.

It falls under the Accra Eco Park Project being implemented by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

This is contained in the final report of a six-member committee, chaired by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Ms Barbara Serwa Asamoah, charged with the responsibility of developing a road map and modalities for the conversion of the forest into an ecotourism site.

Members of the committee endorsed the design of the spiritual enclave and the zoning of the forest for other activities.

Spiritual enclave

The spiritual enclave will do away with the current dispersed church activities and prayer sessions in the forest.

Statistics at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources show that the Achimota Forest Reserve attracts an average of 20,000 visitors annually.

In its report, which has since been presented to the sector Minister, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, for forwarding to the Cabinet, the committee indicated that the spiritual enclave would have worshipping areas, a pavilion, a grotto, restrooms and landscaping.

Eco-Park

The Eco Park will also have other features such as a commercial enclave, an amusement park, a cultural village, a walkway, a drive safari and a visitors’ reception.

A number of religious activities, including fellowship by mostly one-man churches, are a daily occurrence in the Achimota Forest, a development which has negatively affected the forest.

“The forest has mainly been used by religious groups for prayers. The protection of the reserve and its benefits for development is a priority,” Alhaji Fuseini told the Daily Graphic.

He said the Achimota Forest, the largest remaining urban green belt in Ghana, had come under serious threat due to encroachment for the construction of settlements and roads.

Mr Daniel Kwadjo Teye, an architect with the Bricklane Development Group, the company which designed the proposed Eco Park, said provision would be made to transport visitors from the amusement park to the Safari area “where animals will be roaming freely”.

He said there would also be ecological lodges to ensure that visitors enjoyed the ambience of the forest throughout their stay.

By Emelia Enin/Daily Graphic/Ghanahttp://graphic.com.gh/General-News/spiritual-enclave-to-be-created-in-achimota-forest.html