The Kumasi Jubilee Park in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region is rapidly deteriorating, raising concerns among residents about the country’s maintenance culture.
Deep cracks have appeared on the walls of the facility, while metal frames have rusted and paint on several structures is peeling off. Parts of the roof structure are also deteriorating, posing a potential danger to users of the park.
The park was constructed during the tenure of former President John Agyekum Kufuor as part of nationwide projects undertaken to commemorate Ghana’s Golden Jubilee of Independence in 2007.
However, nearly two decades after its establishment, the facility has not undergone any major renovation.
Some sections of the park have reportedly been turned into open urinals, while refuse continues to accumulate in parts of the area.
Although the park was originally built to host public events and recreational activities, portions of the space are now being used as a parking lot, while others have been taken over by individuals displaying posters and advertisements.
As Ghana marks another Independence Day celebration, the deteriorating state of the park has renewed public debate about the poor maintenance of public infrastructure.
Speaking to Citi News, some residents in Kumasi called for stricter enforcement of laws to ensure proper management of public facilities.
Others urged citizens to play an active role in maintaining such facilities rather than leaving the responsibility solely to city authorities.
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Kumasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, attributed the current condition of the park to the country’s weak maintenance culture but ruled out any immediate plans for renovation.
According to him, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly did not allocate funds for the rehabilitation of the facility in its current budget.
“We have not budgeted for it. We did our budget last year. It is not in any of the estimates, so once it has not been budgeted for, what it means is that for now we cannot do anything about it,” he said.
He added that the Assembly would explore options for securing financial support in the future to address the deteriorating state of the park.
