DZORWULU JUNCTION ON A TUESDAY AFTERNOON
The noise of vehicles, especially sirens of ambulances and motor bikes hooting, coupled with loud outcries from street vendors is deafening. Anyone who stops by to take a glance at the scene is amazed at the number of vehicles zooming past or crawling along when caught at the traffic lights. The cars and motorcycles are moving at considerable speeds and they do not seem to be in the mood to make way for any pedestrian unless the traffic lights turn red. The people, mainly young men and women, line the street at the far ends as they await an opportunity to cross the road. Horns and fumes emanating from private and commercial cars filled the atmosphere. It’s a Tuesday afternoon and time check is quarter past 12. Around this time, the traffic starts building up. It is a bright and gay scene. The sun stands vertical at a bearing of 90 degrees to the busy four-crossed roads, popularly known as Dzorwulu Junction. The junction falls a few kilometers away from the Tetteh Quarshie Roundabout on the George Walker Bush Highway. It’s unquestionably one of the city’s most thoroughfare. It connects to Lapaz, Achimota, Airport West and the Accra Mall – Tetteh Quarshie.
The main attractions are the buildings that find themselves situated in this space. The eclectic mix of architecture creates a wonderful sight. At the right side of the junction stands the Fiesta Royale Hotel, one of the most prestigious hotels in the city of Accra, whose famous guests include top-notched citizens and foreigners. Diagonal to the hotel across the road, is the enormous building filled with office spaces waiting to be let out. Few meters away from the building is the famous Palace Chinese Restaurant. On the side to the buildings and roads are giant bill boards displaying products and communicating to whoever that sets eyes on. A pepsodent advert reads “3 BENEFITS IN JUST ONE BRUSH”. One by De-luxy paints said “WE NEED PEACEFUL ELECTIONS. WE HAVE ONLY ONE GHANA”. The Herculean of all these commercials is the BETTER GHANA billboard. It stands about 20m above sea level and has a picture of President Mahama lacing the shoes of a school boy. I can also see another image of him consoling an indisposed child on a hospital bed. Inscribed on it is, I WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW LOVE AND COMPASSION BECAUSE IT’S NECESSITY NOT LUXURY.
It’s a GO! For the automobiles heading to Lapaz and their opposing counterparts en route the Accra mall roundabout. Those from Achimota and that of Airport West are stuck in traffic. In a split second, street vendors carrying all manner of products flood the columns of the lined traffic stuck vehicles. It paradoxically appears these vendors hope and pray for vehicular traffics. These are men and women of varying ages selling assorted products. A young man, probably in his late twenties, hisses in between the cars, carrying yogurt. A middle aged man says thank you to another man nicely dressed behind the wheels of a Mercedes Benz Matic, when he rolled down his glass to buy a newspaper. A neatly dressed lady in a white lacoste and a green apron with a green headgear to match, sold meat pies branded as Adinkra. Sachet water sellers were also busy trying to make some sales. A woman in a commercial vehicle called out tiger nuts but the seller was beyond her reach but due to the collaborative nature of the relationship between the sellers, the tiger nut seller hurried over to the car to make some sales. “Boss, abeg buy one of these – ibi correct paah oo” said a pesticide seller to one pot belly man, who sat comfortable in his car. “Not today please”, replied the man. As I stood watching the finesse nature of an apple seller, my eyes spotted an interesting scene. It was green and I could see the credit seller running after a Toyota Corolla as it sped off. Apparently, the seller couldn’t get paid before the traffic light turned green. As he chased the vehicle, the driver of the car dropped a 10 Ghana Cedi note, which flew for about 10 seconds before it finally landed on the ground. The credit seller went to pick it up with smiles on his face. Some other items such as brukina, toffees, handkerchiefs and assorted drinks were being sold by some crop of hawkers.
Ooops! I gotta go. The vehicle approaching is an Adenta ‘troski’. “Adenta! Adenta! Adenta last two” … I can hear the ‘mate’ shouting. Here I find myself sitting in between two obolo(fat) women as the driver accelerates towards Tetteh Quarshie roundabout. I can hardly move my hand – can’t type anymore. SIGNING OUT…
Observation was made on Tuesday, 9th August, 2016
WATCH OUT FOR OSU OXFORD STREET in My next edition.
Kwame Ernest Adu
