An elderly man has been found abandoned in front of a container shop at Community 7 in Tema, in the Uhuru Electoral Area of the metropolis.
A resident of the area told Graphic Online that an unidentified person on a motorbike dropped the man by the roadside opposite the Tema Joint Church on Friday, March 28, 2025, and left.
She said an eyewitness, concerned by the frail condition of the man and how he was abandoned, approached him. Upon questioning, it became clear that the motorbike rider had indeed left him there.
“He seems to be suffering from memory loss and can’t give any useful information about himself except an inactive telephone number and his name, which he gave as Richmond Kwame Baffour,” she said.
She added that further questioning revealed the man claimed to be a former employee of Pioneer Food Cannery and had also worked as an Uber driver.
“Indeed, the telephone number he gave comes up as ‘Kwame Uber’ on Truecaller,” she noted.
Ms Mante said a police report was filed immediately, and the police promised to come for the man. However, no action has been taken, despite several follow-ups and calls to some senior officers.
Residents also contacted the Social Welfare office at the Tema General Hospital but were told a police extract was required before any intervention could take place.
“Currently, he is being fed by well-wishers and has been given a bath and change of clothes. But because he can’t stand or walk, he messes himself. If no one helps, he sleeps in his own urine and faeces. He sleeps in the open, in front of a container with an extended roof. In the first few days, he slept on the ground under a table. It has rained several times at night since he was abandoned,” she lamented.
When this reporter visited the scene, the man mentioned he was married to a woman named Kate, who resides at Tema Community 5, but could not recall who brought him to Community 7 or where he had been picked up from.
She appealed to the public, particularly residents of Tema, to help identify the relatives of Richmond Kwame Baffour so that he can receive the care he needs—either at home or in a healthcare facility.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development in the Tema Metropolis has confirmed it is aware of the situation and has begun steps to evacuate the man to a psychiatric hospital, despite limited resources.
The Head of the Social Welfare Department in Tema, Mr Robert Mensah Gbley, told Graphic Online that Tema currently has no shelter for abandoned persons. He said efforts were underway to secure space in a psychiatric facility for the man.
He also echoed appeals to the public to help trace the man’s family, stressing that most facilities require the presence of a relative or guardian to support the care process.
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