Several residents of Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality District of the Greater Accra Region have been displaced as a result of a demolition exercise carried out to allow for the rehabilitation of the Ofankor-Nsawam road.
The demolition began Tuesday, October 25, 2022.
The structures pulled down included wooden structures, shops, office buildings, and other structures that served as accommodation for the people.
Some affected people were seen clearing the remains of their structures and salvaging some of their belongings when The Independent Ghana visited the site around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Residents accused authorities of treating them unfairly and demanded compensation.
Speaking to The Independent Ghana, the majority of the victims claimed that they did not receive prior notice from the assembly concerning the exercise.
A trader who was affected also claimed that the authorities had informed them of the road construction but didn’t specify the exact day they would be undertaking the demolition exercise.
“They should have informed us a day before they were coming, so we prepared. As they are sacking us, where do they expect us to go?” she lamented.
Another trader also bemoaned the action, saying that selling is her only means of survival. She, thus, wants authorities to get the affected traders a market where they can continue with their business.
“How can you come and destroy our home, and you sleep in an air-conditioned room, “an angry woman said, throwing jabs at President Akufo-Addo.
She added that they haven’t been given a penny as they claim they have. We need to be compensated. If we are not compensated, we don’t know what we are going to do next,”
Another resident speaking to The Independent Ghana revealed that her son was in the room when the demolition began.
In her haste to save her son, she suffered some injuries, which she showed by pointing to fresh cuts and bruises on her right arm.
She was unable to pack her belongings and has since lost everything.
“The Amasaman assemblyman came to the area to inform us to get prepared from Monday to Friday but didn’t state the exact day for the demolition. They only came in the evening while it was raining and instructed us to pack out because they are coming to demolish the place.I am a mother of 4,where do they except us to go “another victim lamented
Other victims lamented the loss of property, with some saying they had nowhere to sleep.
According to the demolition tax force, they were instructed to pull down all the structures to pave the way for a road construction.
The traders and residents are however appealing to the government to compensate them for the destruction of the properties
The Independent Ghana Checks show that the demolition exercise was sanctioned by the Amasaman Municipal Assembly.
Attempts to reach out to the Amasaman Municipal Assembly to respond to these allegations have proved futile.
Source: The Independent Ghana