Some residents of Otu Street at Bubiashie in the Okaikoi South-Metro in Accra are demanding the relocation of a mechanic shop in the area for being a health hazard.

The residents have over the past 20 years complained about the activities of the mechanic shop, which they claimed generated a lot of filth, leading to constant choking of gutters with waste materials.

Apart from the filth, the residents maintained that the incessant noise from dawn to dusk was also a major concern which needed immediate attention.

A visit by the Daily Graphic revealed an unlawful invasion of the street by the mechanics, making it impossible for road users to access the road, thus creating a chaotic scene.

Vehicles of clients had been indiscriminately parked on the street, while the mechanics worked on them to the neglect of road users, aside from the abandoned vehicles.

Observation

It was also observed that the gutters near the workshop had become choked, while the noise pollution from constant hammering and usage of other tools was unbearable.

The abandoned vehicles and the choked gutters posed serious health hazards to the residents, as the stagnant water served as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

As if that was not enough, the residents also complained of constant flooding in the area anytime it rained.

Two decades of suffering

In an interview, 74-year-old Etor Adansi, who has been at the forefront of the complaints against the workshop since 2001, said he had tried every means possible to draw the attention of the authorities to the crisis but to no avail.

“I have cried for help so many times.

I have written letters to the AMA, the police and spoken to whomever but still nothing seems to be done about the situation.

I get no rest nor sleep and I cannot drive in and out of my home,” he lamented.

He said not only were the surroundings filthy, but smoke emitting from burnt debris at the shop were also a nuisance to the residents.

Another resident, Derrick Amarh-Kwantreng, who has been living in the area since the 1970s, in registering his displeasure at the activities of the mechanics added that others had also erected structures indiscriminately along the road.

“The workshop used to be in one of the houses but now we don’t know exactly what they do that has caused all the gutters to be choked, but because the drains are not working the entire road has become eroded,” he noted.

“After gathering their waste, instead of finding a container and dumping it in, they burn it and just engulf the neighbourhood in smoke.

It’s a terrible thing to see, yet all our complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

They don’t care,” Mahama Sumaila also lamented.

He called on the authorities to come to their aid and instil a measure of discipline for the sake of the residents. 

Sub-metro’s no show  

The Daily Graphic on Monday, June 5, 2023, contacted the Sub-Metro Director, David Aboagye, for his comments on the issue.

He conceded that he was aware of the residents’ plight and assured the Daily Graphic that his office would take immediate steps to address the concerns and bring the perpetrators to order.

“We have summoned them several times but they refused to come.

So we are going there tomorrow to tow the vehicles.

We will invite you so that you capture everything for yourself,” Mr Aboagye said.

However, on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, when the exercise was slated to take place, the towing trucks did not show up, neither did the officials and they declined to answer or return calls from the Daily Graphic.

SOURCE: GraphicOnline