Blame 'Big Men' For Our Woes - Kwesi Pratt

The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has descended heavily on the affluent and influential in society, accusing them of being behind most of the woes facing the country. According to him, by the stroke of a pen, “these big men in huge suits” make “away with billions of cedis belonging to the state.” Commenting on the planned eviction of slum dwellers on Peacefm’s “Kokrokoo”, the Insight newspaper Managing Editor, failed to comprehend how the planned demolition of illegal structures on waterways had to be curtailed, due to the “influence of these big men.” The outspoken critic strongly posited that “any attempt to demolish illegal structures, should begin with the pulling down of properties sited on waterways and wetlands. “Why, is Sodom and Gomorrah the only slum area in Accra? He asked. “It’s time to deal with the “big men”, very very “big men”; it’s time to deal with them. They have been given privileges but they should know that the privileges are not meant to be abused, but to solve problems not create more difficulties for the country,” he added. Mr. Pratt said it will be inhuman for any government to eject the over 40,000 residents in the slum area of Sodom and Gomorrah and also demolish their living quarters without providing them with an alternative means of lodging. “How do you raze down structures housing 40,000 people? Who is thinking about the social consequences of this action?...You can’t just throw-out 40,000 people including children just like that…How? It’s very inhuman, no gov’t should do that,” he advised. According to Mr. Pratt, some gov’t officials backed calls for the eviction of the squatters at Sodom and Gomorrah because they believed the area is a den for criminals and the practice of other social vices. “If we have to pull down houses of criminals in Ghana, then let’s do so, because there are criminal elements (residing) in Airport, Cantonments, Lashibi, Ridge, etc, …and we need to demolish all those buildings as well,” he said. Source: Alex Ofei/peacefmonline