ASHAIMAN MAKES INROADS INTO DEVELOPMENT, DAILY GRAPHIC (PAGE 29)

ASHAIMAN is gradually moving away from its past image of being a centre for crime and other social vices. It has now become a lucrative business hub where multi-national banks and businesses are clamouring for space.The community, which has been dubbed by some as ‘a place where everything is possible”, first had the Ghana Commercial Bank and the Dangme Rural Bank operating as the only financial institutions within the community.But today, the AmalBank and the Zenith Bank are two of the other banks that have opened branches in the municipality.The Agricultural Development Bank, Barclays Bank, Cal Bank, GT Bank, HFC Bank, Intercontinental Bank, Opportunity International, Pro-credit Bank and Unibank have branches in the municipality.The Total Filling Station, which is located at the only traffic light in the municipality, used to be the only fuel filling station in town. However, Glory Oil, Excel, Engen and Agapet are seriously in contention in the municipality.The old mud houses roofed with thatch are giving way to modern houses as resourceful individuals buy the old structures and turn them into huge concrete plazas.A blossoming street market has developed in the municipality where every conceivable item, which cannot be found at the Ashaiman Market, is sold. The street market developed as a result of the population explosion in the municipality.If you cannot find any there, then what you are looking for, perhaps, does not exist at all. From computers to electrical gadgets, groceries, used and brand new tyres, bicycles and motorbikes, designer wear to everything with a name can easily be found at this market.Perhaps, Ghana ’s leading retail shop, Melcom, might have even counted its chicken before they were hatched. Even before its official opening, residents often besieged the frontage of the shop, awaiting a grand opening for them to do their shopping there.As I went through the town one Saturday sourcing for news for this write-up, one thing that caught my fancy was security. Some residents in the past had accused the police within the community of not protecting their interests.But security has been a top priority for these banks operating within the town.This, in fact, motivated me to meet with the then Divisional Commander, Chief Supt Boadu-Peperah, to find out the level of security preparedness in the densely populated community. He explained that although the municipal police command was somewhat constrained in terms of logistics and personnel, they were doing their best.Chief Superintendent Boadu-Pepera said the command was on top of the issue and happy to say that so far there has not been any security breaches in any of the banks.It is surprising how a wide range of businesses and commercial activities within the municipality could sping up within a relatively short period and which has brought employment to many residents and such surrounding communities as Michel Camp, Kakasunanka No 1&2, Katamanso, Bethlehem, Lashibi, Sakumono and Tema.In spite of all the commerce and the sprawling businesses, vehicular traffic and population explosion, sanitation remain a challenge. Other challenges are bad road network, limited health facilities, poor drainage systems, and lack of places of convenience. Checks revealed that Ashaima currently has an estimated population of about 250,000, showing an increase of 50,000 since the last census was held in 2000.The municipal chief executive put the present population density at 4,500 people per square kilometre.The community, however, has only one government health facility which was recently upgraded into a polyclinic to take care of the health needs of the people.There are only 21 public places of conveniences serving the entire population. Very often residents have to queue to get the chance to attend to the call of nature. Those who refuse to join the queue resort to the use of plastic bags which they often throw into thickets and drains bringing to the fore, the need for households to construct individual places of convinience.As a result of the high patronage of the places of convenience by residents, managing existing facilities has become lucrative business ventures and functionaries of the two major political parties in the country have resorted to forceful takeover actions in order to run them.For commuters to and from Accra and Tema, as well as those who transit through the community to other regions, travelling through Ashaiman can be a nightmare.The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Numo Adinortey Addison, in a recent address, gave a promise to decongest the municipality to make way for various construction works to begin.Outlining his development agenda for the municipality, the MCE said the disputed ‘Kufuor’ Station would be developed into a modern complex, with offices, supermarkets and car parks as part of the assembly’s development plan. He further indicated that the Ashaiman Market would be modernised to create a clean environment and also provide adequate lighting system to improve security in the municipality.Mr Numo said he was in touch with the traditional authorities for the release of lands to embark on the building of an additional senior high school, a polytechnic, university and a sports stadium at Ashaiman.As the government of the day has given a pledge to turn all urban slums into clean settlements, one would only make a humble appeal to the authorities to take major steps in re-branding the municipality as it has a lot of potential.