In a dazzling display of unwavering optimism, the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former President, John Dramani Mahama, has unveiled yet another grandiose plan to decongest Accra. Speaking to the European Union Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, Mahama announced his intention to initiate plans, designs, and feasibility studies for constructing a new city outside the bustling capital.
For those with long memories, this may evoke a sense of déjà vu. Recall the fanfare of 2013, when President Mahama ceremoniously broke ground for the $10 billion rLG Hope City project. Heralded as a futuristic utopia complete with towering skyscrapers and a promise of countless jobs, the ambitious initiative was to be spearheaded by Roland Agambire, the Chairman of the AGAMS Group and CEO of rLG Communications Limited. The vision included six towers of varying heights, the tallest soaring 270 meters, which would have made it the highest in Africa.
Alas, the promised land of Hope City quickly transformed into a spectral landscape, a poignant reminder of what could have been. Despite Mahama’s assurances and the grand ceremony, the project stalled and ultimately vanished, leaving behind only echoes of unfulfilled promises and unoccupied land.
Undeterred by the past, Mahama is once again courting the idea of decentralization. In his latest vision, he proposed that the future city could span the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Volta Regions, strategically located near the Volta Lake to ensure an abundant water supply. He suggested that while Accra would remain the capital, a significant portion of governmental ministries, departments, and agencies could be relocated to this new urban center to alleviate the congestion that currently chokes Accra’s streets.
“We will commence a feasibility study with a plan to construct a new city. Accra is grid-locked, and the time has arrived for us to relocate certain parts of the government services from Accra,” Mahama proclaimed with characteristic conviction.
In an effort to preempt skepticism, he noted that available land on the Accra Plains and across the Volta Lake would be suitable for this grand scheme. Furthermore, a new port terminal at Mpakadan is expected to facilitate cargo transportation to the northern regions, enhancing the logistical appeal of the proposed city.
Despite his confident declarations, many Ghanaians may recall Mahama’s previous statement about the country’s short memory span and wonder if this new promise will share the same fate as the ill-fated Hope City. Will the vision of a new, congestion-free city materialize, or is it merely another chapter in the book of Ghana’s political promises?
Only time will tell if this bold new venture will rise from the planning stages to become a tangible reality, or if it will join the ranks of Mahama’s previous, unfulfilled aspirations. In the meantime, Ghanaians may do well to view such grand declarations with a measure of skepticism, seasoned by the lessons of history.
Source: GhanaFeed.Com