The Koforidua Jubilee Park which was built with thousands of Ghana cedis has been left in a deplorable state by city authorities.
The park, which was built in 2007 as part of several other parks in the regional capitals to mark Ghana’s 50th anniversary has become an abode for lunatics, stray animals, miscreant, Indian hemp (wee) smokers and people of sound mind who use the place to attend to nature’s call.
As a result of the neglect of the place, its surroundings and parade grounds have been overgrown with weeds and filth and concrete tiles used for the floor was also washed away by erosion.
When it rained, several ponds are created on the parade grounds and the facility gets flooded due to its poor drainage system.
Due to heavy storm, parts of the roof have been ripped off resulting in the destruction of the lighting system.
The structures on the park, especially the daises have developed cracks and have become death traps.
Washrooms were unkempt and the place was flooded with a mixture of rain water, urine and human excreta.
A visit to the park which was used for national and private events revealed that some people who had stayed in the offices and changing rooms some time ago have planted several crops around the park.
Residents of the municipality complained about the neglect of the park as they paid money to the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly and the traditional council to enable them holdprogrammes there.
One resident who spoke to the Ghanaian Times on condition of anonymity said they paid as much a GHC400 and above to hold funerals, conventions, among other events there.
She was worried about the state of the place, explaining that the neglect of the park caused financial loss to the state and the lack of maintenance culture was worrying.
“Meanwhile you come and hold programmes here and you realise the place is unkempt, washrooms were bad and surroundings were weedy and we plead with the authorities to do something about it since the Jackson Park is closed for rehabilitation works and this facility has been left to hold events,” she said.
In an interview with the care taker of the place, Mr Kofi Adjei,he admitted the state of disrepair and added that it caused inconveniences for people who paid to have programmes there.
He said it would have been good to have a wall around the park, adding that the absence of the wall caused all sorts of people to come in and use the place, revealing some people used the place as their private facility but currently being sacked by the authorities.
He stated that the deplorable state of the place was an eyesore and called on authorities to rehabilitate it.
When the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the New Juaben South, Mr Isaac Appaw-Gyasi, was contacted on the issue, he admitted that the place was in a deplorable state.
He revealed that the park was left in the hands of the Eastern Regional Police Command whose training school was using the place as training grounds.
“The Jubilee Park is for government, there is no doubt about it. However for many years we have left it in the hands of the Regional Police Command because they had requested for it as training grounds and therefore not in the hands of the assembly,” he explained.
He added that the Assembly’s attention had been on the Koforidua Jackson Park instead, where most programmes were held instead of the Jubilee Park.
“However, due to the reconstruction of the place we would have to go back and use the Jubilee Park for events now and hence the need to renovate the place,” MCE said.
“Having decided to use the place now, the Assembly has fortunately captured in this year’s budget for total renovation of the park. I can assure you 2021/2022 budget year, Jubilee Park would be renovated,” he added.
When the Ghanaian Times contacted the Officer Commanding (OC) the Koforidua Police Training School of the Eastern Regional Command, Ms Charity Amankwah, to ask why the place was in shambles she admitted that the place was in a deplorable state.
She said an approval by the assembly to enable the recruits to use the place for training was given to his former colleague before she assumed office.
MsAmankwah explained that since she took over, she has ensured the place was clean and has done some renovation works on the T and J of the daises.
“When the recruits use the place for our passing out among other national events, I ensure the place is cleaned,” she said.
MsAmankwah however stated that for some time, the Assembly has given out the place for events without informing them, adding that it has contributed to people using the park unknown to them and attributed the situation to the bad state of the park.
She told the Ghanaian Times that her outfit has realised the need for renovations and have informed the Assembly to do so, adding “I am optimistic that the place would be renovated soon.”
FROM AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, KOFORIDUA
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