In his sleep these days, Dr James Ato Orleans-Lindsay of JL Properties dreams of birds singing in a well-tendered, tree-filled eco-park with a variety of first-rate recreational facilities.
The 45-year-old man is a builder and estate developer. The issue that has virtually taken over his entire being over the last year, however, is his effort to transform a 12-acre landfill site behind the Achimota new station bus terminal in Accra into a nature preserve.
“I’m passionate about green things and that’s why I’m committed to reclaiming the land and turning it into a beautiful landscape,” says Dr Orleans-Lindsay.
At the project site, plants are sprouting in areas already reclaimed, while truckloads of soil are pumped into other sections to prepare them for planting.
“The major work of reclaiming the land is done. The attention now is mainly on tendering of the plants before we come in with an astro turf, basketball courts and other facilities.”
When completed in the projected two years time frame, those familiar with the locality that once harboured a disused quarry that became dumping ground for both solid and liquid waste, would see something more pleasant in place.
Waste from about half of the nation’s capital ended up at the Achimota site which at a point was in the control of the national railway authority. When the land eventually went back into the hands of the family who owned it, Dr Orleans-Lindsay negotiated to possess it for his estate development business.
He realised, however, that the nature of the land could not allow for any meaningful development for a long time.
“With all the rubbish and dangerous chemicals that had seeped into the ground, I could not have done anything there for the next 15 years or so. People had started erecting kiosks and the place was turning into a slum.
“I had to find a way to save the location and not think about money because I was not going to get anything out of it. That’s how the idea to regenerate the land into something more friendly came in.”
Of course, he did not want a slum to evolve because he already has over 100 houses in the vicinity and an unsightly environment would devalue the investment.
The widely-travelled Dr Orleans-Lindsay says he thought of reclaiming the 12-acre space because he was aware of several such projects in Europe and America.
“I know that vast areas of land wasteland have been reclaimed in those places and transformed into sanctuaries for birds, deer, fish and other marsh creatures. I’m just using my expertise in construction management to also create something here that future generations would also cherish.”
He is working in close collaboration with some former workers of the National Parks and Gardens Authority who have set up a consultancy in green matters.
The man has been around construction sites virtually all his life. His father, John Orleans-Lindsay was a builder. The then young James became extremely excited about estate development because his father involved him a lot in his building projects.
After securing his ‘O’ Level and ‘A’ Level certificates at the St Peter’s Secondary School, Nkwatia in the Eastern Region and St Augustine’s College in Cape Coast in the Central Region respectively, Dr Orleans – Lindsay studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
He then proceeded to the North London University in England for further degrees in construction management.To him, spending his own resources to reclaim and turn 12-acres of landfill site into a green zone is a free contribution to societal progress.
He is happy with the morale support from the Achimota community for the reclamation project.
According to him,residents in the area have now come to understand the concept of an eco-park though he initially struggled with some of them who still wanted to dump refuse and use the grounds as a place of convenience
“Their cooperation is more than I can ask for. I’m excited they understand that what is happening is in their interest. The place would be open to everyone.”
The workaholic, who is married to Nana Ama Abrefi and has two sons, said he relaxed by reading autobiographies of great achievers and watching documentary films.
Dr Orleans-Lindsay pointed out that he researched a lot into his reclamation assignment and does not mind putting the knowledge at the disposal of local authorities, ministries or even the central government to reclaim land in any part of the country.
“I’m a proud Ghanaian and it is just a way of brightening the corner I come from.”