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TEMA DESTRUCTION
CORPORATION....HELLO!
Ask yourself- who works at the Tema Development Corporation
(TDC)? What is their vision and what motivates them?
Of course we can begin with the smug profiles, lists of
academic degrees and conferences and seminars attended that
are documented on the TDC website.
But we quickly need to get beyond this.
Recently, a local curmudgeon unveiled a powerful secret
about these public officials.
When their abject dereliction of duty and greed is exposed,
they will become sad - read that as remorseful, and an emoji,
with or without a pearl necklace, will surely ask that they
retire on their benefits, totally oblivious to the
sufferings of us, the serfs and plebeians.
I can already imagine a TDC officer reading this and getting
ready to put up a lame "ghanaian defence....and the small
"g" is not a typo.
The shuffling paper shifter will almost certainly split
hairs over the TDC and TMA but remain totally silent over
the quality of leadership in either institution and their
role in the present debacle.
Previous high profile complainants about the performance of
the TDC that led to loss of life and property have included;
in 2007, David Quaye Annang the Municipal Chief Executive
and in 2015, a member of the Council of State- Emmanuel
Adjei Annan.
All this seemed totally incredulous until startling evidence
was presented to me from Tema Community 3- site A, several
weeks ago.
Here was a foundation for a wall surrounding a project site.
This wall cut right across a roadway at a right angle and
ended literally at a gutter right on the other side of the
road.
The foundation then continued along the edge of the gutter
for another thirty meters.....guess what? In a downhill
trajectory-simply brilliant; you cannot make this stuff up
even if you tried.
The intelligent and ambitious plan is to have the gutter
between two walls as prior to this new project there are
walled residences on both sides of the road.
The result is that some homeowners now have unfettered
vehicular access to the homes curtailed. To add insult to
injury, their homes will become prone to flooding.
Now, this gutter is one of the main drainage waterways for
the community and the wall for the new project has been
built exactly on its edge; no easement.
The working plan, situating this project on land that was
originally earmarked for recreational use (and for which no
replacement has been provided) has been signed by an
architect, and a permit issued by the TDC.
What highly experienced and competent engineering and
planning geniuses we have at the TDC!
What bright ideas they have for the future of Tema!
We can all understand why Tema now looks like an Ablade
Glover Cityscape and the Community 1 open gutters reek of
putrefaction.
Furthermore, we can also understand why a tertiary reference
hospital -the Maritime Hospital has been located in a
residential neighborhood with a drainage system for the
hospital going into the "dollhouse caliber" neighborhood
drains.
The emergency exit from the hospital compound as I write,
opens onto the driveway of a neighbouring house.....but this
hospital emergency exit has a two storey gateway edifice.
Next time we see the TDC Taskforce riding standing upright
in their open vehicles and flouting other traffic
regulations-well, we minions shall observe their
flatulent habitus and be kind enough to offer them
moonshine-perhaps they will not disparage it.
They are mere pawns of the verbose, minimally performing
titled senior public officials in management.
These officials, over the last ten to fifteen years to date,
have ruined the city - no roll call or infamous list is
necessary.
They have destroyed a great vision; they have shown very few
competencies and have not kept faith with their fellow
countrymen.
It will be a pleasant surprise if any of them even bothered
to keep faith with his conscience.
We understand that the hardest part of leadership is judging
how far to stray from what is ideal for the sake of what is
necessary.
However in making that calculation has the current TDC
leadership conducted an analysis of past policy failings?
This is only useful if it informs a prescription for what
might work in order to lift the air of lawlessness and
ruination that hangs over what was once an eminently
peerless city.
Do they have the courage and competence to perform this
analytic task and execute the required actions without fear
and favor?
Or did they long ago collect their thirty pieces of silver
(and perhaps livestock), in order to become part of the
dross of team ghana (small g please!)- the chronic
underachievers, and interminable apologists for mediocrity
with claims on the public purse?
But once again, the prophetic vision shines through and hope
springs eternal; each will reap what he has sown.
Throughout history, when civilised or enlightened people
have been betrayed by their public officials, a few citizens
have stood up, doggedly defended their rights and exposed
and excoriated the victimisers.
Faith, courage and duty leave no other option. After all it
is perforce only facing up to cowardice, laziness, greed and
dishonesty.
In a civilised society, the outcome should never be in
doubt; Reason and Progress win over Chaos and Decay.
It should be a "no contest".
In Ghana, what will be the outcome? In Tema under the
current TDC what will be the result?
Will the destruction be a fait accompli?
The fact that we have asked these questions is a tragedy and
an indictment of what Ghana and Tema in particular have
become.
N.B. ANDREWS, MD
Blebo We-Sakumo
December 22, 2015. |
