It’s unfortunate that Ghana is strewn with abandoned, unmanaged, vandalized, or deteriorating construction projects ranging from hospitals to factories.
Some citizens complained that even the completed housing projects by the government are not affordable, some cost to the tune of $50,000 which the ordinary Ghanaian worker cannot afford.
Eventually, it is the rich and political elite who will grab these apartments, and rent them out to the poor at exorbitant prices, further increasing the poverty gap.
On the contrary, the poor maintenance culture attitude which is evident in most of our institutions has affected this great edifice of international recognition.
Here are 6 abandoned projects in Ghana that will leave you shocked
Essipong Stadium has been abandoned.
The Essipong Sports Stadium in the Western Region has been left to rot despite the government’s assurance that it will invest more than US$3 million to complete the first phase of the project’s repair.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports announced in 2020 that a contract for the renovation of the Essipong Stadium has been granted.
The Essipong Stadium is in disrepair because it has not been renovated since its completion for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
Because of Ghana’s non-maintenance culture, the facility was almost completely ‘decayed.’
Roofs have been ripped, exposing the steel frames to corrosion. Washrooms, business areas, and hostels have all seen some level of damage.
Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum is in disrepair
Accra’s Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park honors Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
The tomb, which was dedicated in 1992, is located on the former British colonial polo grounds in Accra.
The mausoleum, which houses some of Nkrumah’s personal things, is in disarray.
It is quite regrettable that some Kwame Nkrumah monuments at the mausoleum have been disfigured without any clear indications to resculpt them.
All of these historical treasures are at risk of deterioration due to weather exposure because the museum’s roof leaks heavily and the floor has developed fractures all throughout.
The tomb was briefly closed for repairs in May of this year.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, the shutdown will last until “further notice” on Friday, May 27, 2022.
According to the Ministry, this is to assist “improve the Memorial Park to a standard that befits the former President’s prominence.”
Tamale’s GH1.9 million bus terminal has been abandoned
Drivers in Tamale, Northern Region, continue to compete on the roadside for passengers at the expense of pedestrian safety.
After five years of construction, a bus terminal in Tamale was abandoned.
The bus station, which cost GH1.9 million to build, has not been used since its completion.
The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) terminal, which was supported by the World Bank under the Urban Development Grant in 2015, is yet to open for business.
The project, located in Tamale’s Datoyili, was built to alleviate overcrowding at the Tamale bus terminal.
Auxiliary amenities such as parking lodges were installed at the facility.
Weeds have taken over the entire lorry terminal, with livestock and suspected criminals battling for any living space.
Several installations appeared to have been stolen, including electrical lines, air conditioners, louvres, and bulbs.
Osu Castle was abandoned and allowed to degrade
The previously impregnable and unbeatable Osu fortress is now a mere shell of its former glory.
During the heady days of former President Rawlings, the castle gained reputation and awe for its good, terrible, and ugly tales.
Almost every president, from Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s First Republic to Atta Mills’ demise in 2012, operated from the ancient slave palace.
However, only ten years after the death of Atta Mills, the last occupant of the castle, the structure, now a presidential museum, is rapidly disintegrating.
Filth has infiltrated the structure, and presidential limousines, which previously conveyed the country’s top gentlemen, have been abandoned to the whims of the elements.
Rusted metals and damaged structural work are bearing the brunt of the sea’s wrath.
The deteriorating cycle is troubling, given that the edifice and its contents, if carefully conserved by the authorities, could generate millions of dollars in revenue for the country each year.
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital
Nearly 1000-bed maternity and child health blocks, which opened in 1974, were intended to alleviate severe overcrowding at the old facility.
The Kutu Acheampong National Redemption Council (NRC) government initiated and began the project, which was later abandoned by subsequent governments.
Work on the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Maternity and Children’s Block, which had been abandoned for 46 years, began in 2020.
This comes after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo turned the sod on the project.
To complete the project, the government raised €138 million in funding.
The Cape Coast Castle abandoned
The Cape Coast castle, which was formerly a tourist attraction in the Central Region, has been abandoned.
The Cape Coast Castle, erected by European traders for commerce in timber and gold but later utilized in trans-Atlantic slave traffic, has been squandered rather than generating revenue for the locals.
The castle served as a holding facility for slaves before they were carried aboard ships and sold in the Americas, particularly the Caribbean. This “gate of no return” served as the final checkpoint before crossing the Atlantic.
An investment that may bring the government millions of dollars and improve our revenue has been neglected.
SOURCE: Pulse.com.gh
