Slums have become major features of Accra, and one that dominated the headlines recently is ECOMOG, a bustling slum on the banks of the choked Odaw River near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
Home to over 4,000 inhabitants who live in shacks built along the railway lines, the slum was recently razed by fire which reduced hundreds of wooden and corrugated iron structures into a pile of debris.
The neighbourhood, home to mostly young people from all over the country who have come to Accra in search for greener pastures, derives it name from the West African peacekeeping mission known by the acronym ECOMOG, which was first deployed in Liberia in 1990 to halt factional fighting in the capital, Monrovia.
According to residents, the name evolved from a popular drinking spot in neighbourhood.
The Odaw River, which is filled with heaps of refuse, leaves a strong stench at the slum. The refuse dump created in the Odaw River has become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, exposing the residents to malaria and cholera. To deal with the situation, some have got mosquito nets to protect themselves at night. Ironically, the same people dump their refuse in the Odaw River.
Health care is non existent at the slum but there are drugs stores to provide first aid if the needs arise. They also depend on the clinics and hospitals in the surrounding areas such as the Adabraka Polyclinic.
Nevertheless, the slum has potable water, with over five pipelines to provide water for them. Electricity is also available but mainly from illegal connections.
It may seem to be a surprise but the slum has a tiled and clean toilet and bath facilities which was put up by some individuals from the community. Residents pay 20 pesewas to use the toilet facility while 30 pesewas is the cost for using the bathroom.
Heavy rainfall during the rainy season does not spare the residents, as flood destroys their properties and leaves patches of stagnant water around the slum.
The residents of ECOMOG are predominantly petty traders who sell items such as second-hand clothes, sachet water, confectionaries, cooked food and fruits. While some operated directly in the slum, others move to nearby traffic intersections to do business. At the slum are also young men who collect and sell scraps.
The young women are mostly porters, otherwise known as ‘Kayayei,’ who carry goods for a fee. They operate from dawn at the Rawlings Park, Kantamanto, Makola, Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Agbogbloshie markets.
To earn their daily bread, these young people defy all danger to cart goods bought by their customers and charge fees depending on the weight and volumes of goods. Their male counterparts push truckloads of goods in transit for their income.
Residents of ECOMOG, pushed by economic realities in the rural areas, left their villages, towns and even cities to the capital with no choice than to create a settlement for themselves.
To compound the problem, the outrageous rent advances demanded by landlords mean that many of those who arrive in Accra have found the slum more affordable. “It helps you to save money for other things,” 24-year old Richard, a teacher from Kumasi, said. He added: “My brother brought me to the slum about six years ago when I completed senior high school. I came and did some trading to raise money to continue my education. I raised the necessary money and went to the training college. “I am now working as full time teacher with the GES,” he said.
When 23-year-old Malik completed junior high school, there was no money to help him continue his education; moreover, he had to take care of his siblings. This led to his migration to the capital city six years ago.
“The second-hand cloth seller said he had worked had to take care of his two siblings who are in the junior and senior high schools.”
The story of 27-year-old Lydia Seidu is no different as she was also forced to come to Accra after the death of her uncle whom she lived with in Kumasi.
“While staying with my uncle I was working as a head porter but after his death, I moved to Accra where I thought I would make more money.” Lydia now sells cooked rice at circle and she is taking care of her siblings who are in her hometown, Walewale.
As the saying goes, you don’t know where you would meet your love. Some squatters who come in search for greener pastures find their life partners—just like the story of another 23-year-old Serwah.
“I came to the city to do trading to make a better life for myself and fortunately I met my life partner and we got married,” Serwah said. The orange seller said she met her husband in the slum and after marriage they still live there.
Abdul Shafiwu arrived in Accra from the north in 1998 full of hope and enthusiasm to bid poverty goodbye. He abandoned his comfortable bed expecting a rosy life in a city he heard so much of.
But a sleeping place became a nightmare until one of his colleagues mentioned ECOMOG.
To secure accommodation at ECOMOG, one needs GH¢2 a week to share a twelve-by-eight footer kiosk with four or five other inmates. Those who want their privacy would also need GH¢15 to GH¢20 to secure a six-by-eight footer kiosk for a month. The structures serve as their bedrooms while the surroundings serve as the kitchen and playgrounds for children.
Previously, the price for the kiosk at the slum was not expensive. One could get a kiosk of six-by-eight foot at GH¢5 a month, Shafiwu who has lived at the slum for over 15 years said. But as the population increased and the demand went up, so did the rent.
One of the biggest bane of ECOMOG, beyond the squalid conditions, is safety. Crime is rampant. ‘Initially, the place was creepy; one could not use the road along the railway lines because of the attacks from criminals. Women became victims of rape. “I and some of the settlers had to use physical strength to stop the criminals and secure the place,” Shafiwu said.
According to the Head of the slum who gave his name only as Mallam, ECOMOG is a peaceful place as the people live as brothers and sisters despite their diversities.
“Despite our backgrounds, we live in peace and love. You hardly hear quarrels and fight among ourselves. If there is any misunderstanding, we ensure that it is settled amicably,” he said.
“When the need arises, we contribute towards it, whether in the form of money or engagement,” Mallam said.
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