“Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden (Genesis 2:9-14).
In furtherance the Bible describes the garden as heaven on earth with temperate weather without rain, lush trees and gushing rivers.
Similarly, the Garden of Eden description can be likened to the Dansoman Glefe Ramsar site.
It was a productive ecosystem with trees along its banks where land and water meet to form a wetland.
This was essential for preserving numerous natural cycles and providing habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and teeming species.
The Glefe lagoon over a decade and a half ago offered fish and grains that fed dwellers around the Dansoman community while defending its coastlines.
It acts as a natural sponge against flooding and contributes significantly to the fight against climate change.
I still remember the good old days at the Glefe lagoon as a child many years ago. I still recall visiting the lagoon often for fishing expeditions with mini-canons packed beside the site to catch small tilapias, “Dediebibii” in the Ga parlance.
The fish harvested were mostly sold to kenkey sellers in exchange for a ball or two of kenkey and fried fish. And when I make a profitable harvest, these vendors complement my efforts with money. Fishing with my friends sometimes was also unique.
Fast forward to today. A visit to the site brought tears to my eyes. It was all emotional as I could see filth upon filth as I walked along the Ramsar site. Plastic waste bottles floated on the edges of the once famous Glefe Lagoon, “My Garden of Eden”.
The area has become a junkyard for scrap dealers and plastic waste collectors, some of whom are of Nigerian descent. These dealers have encroached on the wetland, burning used or discarded electronic materials that contain plastic, lead, and other materials that contribute to environmental pollution.
The burning of these e-waste materials produces carbon dioxide, mercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This causes health implications associated with lung and neurological diseases as well as other types of cancer.
Children of school going age were also seen assisting with the burning of these toxic materials in an open space polluting the once serene environment.
Information from the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that lead is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children.
As a result of inhalation, the toxic substance distributes to the brain, liver, kidneys and bones. It is stored in the teeth and bones, where it accumulates over time. With its negative effect on pregnant mothers, toxic substances releases into blood during pregnancy and becomes a source of exposure to the developing fetus.
I feel sorry for residents who live very close to the burning site which has become a toxic area as they may not be aware of its negative repercussion of the burnings to their health in the long term.
In my interactions with the Assemblyman, John Bortey, he said there have been several attempts on his life as he tried to stop encroachers from destroying the natural vegetation of the area.
“I have done my very best to ensure the Ramsar site is not encroached by the guys but when I try to stop them they fight me physically and as you can see I am not strong and cannot die for rubbish besides the fact that the case is with the Assembly now,” he said.
Mr. Bortey also revealed that due to the encroachment that has rendered the community harmful for dwellers it has also contributed to the increase in teenage pregnancy in the community.
“These boys who sell plastic waste are causing most of the girls to become pregnant, affecting their education. I can’t fight them alone. I need organizations to fight for the land,” he said.
The assemblyman was very serious as I could see multiple cuts on his arm and his face looks like a retired boxer. I guess that may be a result of his fight with the “gangsters”.
AbkWA Response
Officials of the Ablekuma West Assembly (AbkWA) in responding to the dire situation indicated that the assembly deployed Military personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces for operations to arrest the encroachers.
They indicated that the encroachers get tipped-off whenever the assembly organizes an operation making it difficult to make arrests.
Government Fights Encroachers
The government of Ghana on several occasions has assured the public of his unweaving commitment to fighting encroachers who leave close to Ramsar sites in the Greater Accra Metropolis.
The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, in an interview with journalist said that the government will not watch unconcerned for people to encroach on the land and that the protection of the land is a visionary approach towards the prevention of a flood disaster in the near future.
He indicated that the country as a signatory to the United Nation’s Convention on protecting forests and Ramsar sites has an obligation to safeguard the site and preserve it for the purpose for which it was created.
It is my hope that Glefe Lagoon will be restored to normalcy soon, so my family and I can visit the site next time for another fishing trip. Until then bye bye.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke