Mickey Mouse and his Cigarette

Our household calls it Mickey, others in the neighborhood has named it ‘Mickey Musculus’. All these names refer to a large mouse freely roaming in our area and often admired by onlookers. It is not as if people in the neighborhood fear it which is why it is still alive, but we are all amazed at the fact that its size almost equals that of a rat! Cats even do not approach it; it enters any opened room uninvited and without a knock; little kids run away from Mickey. Uncharacteristic of typical African and mouse relationship, Mickey even receive food from the neighborhood.

Folk you may be surprised at this report about Mickey. As usual of Accra life, I had to get to the road side early enough to avoid the traffic. I was walking towards the roadside when   I saw thick smoke coming out of Mickey Mouse’s nostril! Incredible! You shouted. It was real I reply you. It was so engulfed in the smoking that it did not even recognize anyone passing. An Englishman will call it miracle; a Spaniard will say milagro and a German will exclaim wunder!

I was blessed to meet an area man who knows Mickey Mouse. Apparently he also saw what I’m reporting to you. Fortunately for me he has an answer for me. He told me Mickey Mouse has been spending his nights in their house inside an unused wooden structure. Unfortunately for Mickey Mouse, this family got three visitors and since their hall is already accommodating four people, they were left with no option than to prepare that wooden structure for their guest, conversely ejecting Mickey Mouse.

I quickly called to mind the news item I listened to the previous day; that Ghana has 1.6 million housing deficit.

This news is sad to hear but it’s real. According to this news, almost a quarter of Ghanaians live in slums, while an estimated average of 8.7 people share a house in urban areas. Successive governments have expressed their concern about this problem and most often their solution is only on building more houses. Folks, join me in asking these two questions:

1.     What if there are more buildings but we cannot afford the rent?

2.     Considering the time it takes to construct a house, could there be any cost effective way of building more houses at affordable prices?

Would you not agree with me that if the rent act of 1963, ACT 229 is strictly enforced, it can reduce the housing deficit albeit it will not completely solve it? The Rent Act stipulates that 'no one shall rent a room or a house and pay an advance fee beyond 6 months'.

The fact that we have housing deficit does not mean we do not unoccupied houses. There are a lot of vacant rooms and estate development companies are adding new ones daily. The problem is about the cost in renting and rent advance which is forcing people to sleep together in large numbers. It is not uncommon now to see in all our capital cities about 6-8 people sleeping in one single room. It is not as if all these people are completely poor but cannot raise the needed money to pay for the unregulated two or three years rent advance requested by landlords.

Admittedly regulating rent only cannot solve the huge housing deficit. What if we turn modern technology that ensures that houses are built fast and cheap without compromising quality?

One such modern building technology that has been adopted by countries like the US is the Expanded polystyrene (EPS). EPS is a product that provides smart solutions and durable, efficient results. It is a sustainable product that is recyclable and environmentally sound. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is an innovative building material that lends to the design and structural integrity of many building projects. Polystyrene is extracted from oil. Thousands of small units of styrene, called monomers, link together to form large molecules of polystyrene by a process called polymerization.

The Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) production process uses a pure hydrocarbon, which does not contain any halogens and does not damage the earth's protective ozone layer, as the expansion agent. Since the 1950s, EPS has been recognized as a mainstream insulation material. Now, EPS is a powerful design element and an ideal choice for green building design, offering tangible environmental advantages that can maximize energy efficiency, providing improved indoor environmental quality and enhancing durability.

EPS is used widely in the building and construction industry. EPS is widely used in many everyday building and construction situations where its light weight, strength and thermal insulation characteristics provide cost effective high performance solutions.

Major applications of EPS include insulated panel systems for use in floors, walls and roofs of domestic as well as commercial buildings as well as facades for both domestic and commercial buildings. It is also used as a void-forming fill material in civil engineering projects.

 EPS is an inert material that does not rot and provides no nutritional benefits to vermin therefore does not attract pests such as rats or termites. Its strength, durability and lightweight nature makes it a versatile and popular building product.  EPS has successfully become the smartest option for modern building construction and a responsible choice for the environment.

It is therefore urgent for building construction and real estate developers to seriously consider this option of cost-effective housing. This will help in reducing if not eradicating at all, the housing deficit in the country and our area mouse, Mickey Musculus will not be ejected.

Thankfully as I stepped closer to have a close look at our most adored Mickey Musculus smoking, I woke up from sleep and realized it was dream. Mickey Musculus is still freely patrolling the area. I wish long life.