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| Obasanjo Road Renamed "419 Road" |
3/22/2007 |
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The Enquirer) - Although the President,Mr J.A Kufuor had no bad intentions when he renamed the road from 37 Military Hospital to Dimples, Dzorwulu after Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, residents along the road, particularly those in Nima, Kawkudi and Mamobi have renamed the street, “419 Road”.
“419”, a clause in Nigeria’s Anti-Corruption Law is tagged to anyone who depicts the character of a confident trickster. The AMA named the dual road from the 37 Military Hospital to Dimples traffic light after Olusegun Obasanjo, about three weeks ago. Some residents along the road said some days ago after the naming of the road that the reasons given by the authorities for naming the road and the roundabout after the Nigerian President are null and void, hence, renaming it “419” road.
Another reason they gave for renaming the road was that it was Kufuor’s government which changed Sankara Over Pass to Ako Adjei Overpass.
According to the residents, when Sankara Overpass named after the assassinated Burkinabe Head of state, Thomas Sankara was being changed to Ako Adjei Overpass; the reason cited by the authorities was that Sankara is a foreigner and they do not see how the road was named after him whiles there are heroes to honour.
They argued that if the basis upon which the government changed the name of the Sankara Overpass was justifiable, then they have no moral right to name another public place in the City after another foreigner.
In a citation read in honour of the Nigerian President by the AMA Chief Executive Officer, Stanley Adjiri Blankson during the dedication, he said the honour done the Nigerian President was in recognition of the “overwhelming support you offered His Excellency and his government took over the administration of our beloved country”.
He stated that the city of Accra and for that matter Ghana had followed with keen interest and admiration the support President Obasanjo had given the country and added that the road had been dedicated to him as a friend and a brother on the special occasion of Ghana’s 50th Independence anniversary celebration.
“Let them call it whatever, we will call it 419 road, whether they like it or not”, said one resident, Kwesi Appiah, a tooth brush vendor at Kawkudi Junction said when an opinion poll was conducted in the area to know the reaction of the residents and the road users.
The residents noted that “the contribution of Obsanjo to the interest of Ghana is not known to them, neither his great achievements of excellence in African politics as heralded by the President is a public knowledge”.
In a related development, the vendors along the Danquah Circle at Osu, Accra have also been renamed the popular Danquah Circle as “CIA Circle”. The Danquah Circle which has been renovated and the statue of Dr J.B Danquah, one of the Big Six erected in the middle have not been spared the listing of Accra Street vendors. They say it is easier to call the flashy Danquah Circle, “CIA Roundabout”, rather than the latter.
The Enquirer
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