By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
There was near chaos at Pokuase and Amasaman, on Monday, October 24, 2022 following a demolition undertaken by the Ghana Highway Authority.
The exercise rendered hundreds of landlords and residents in the Ga West Municipality homeless.
The affected people are mainly those who had their property closer to the Pokuase-Amasaman-Nsawam stretch of the Accra-Kumasi Highway.
The affected Landlords and Tenants who were seen parking out some belongings they could move-out before the bulldozer got to their buildings claimed they were given only a week to vacate. A claim Authorities from Ga West Municipal Assembly have denied.
According to them, they have lost thousands of cedis as well as their livelihoods as a result of the exercise.
Occupants of the affected structures accused the Assembly of not giving them prior eviction notice and demanded compensation.
Speaking to gbcghanaonline.com, one of the disgruntled Landlords, Nana Poku, explained that they were given just one week notice by the Ga West Municipal Assembly to vacate.
“As I’m talking to you, nobody has sat them down to tell them how much compensation will be given to each affected person and when it will be paid” he disclosed.
Nana Poku, therefore, called on the government to speed up the payment of the compensation process to enable them to find a place to settle since they have nowhere to go now.
But, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ga West Municipal Assembly, Mr. Clement Wilkinson in an interview, said the affected persons will be paid compensation after the exercise.
The MCE hinted that work on the reconstruction and expansion of the Pokuase-Amasaman-Nsawam stretch of the Accra-Kumasi Highway to 10 lanes will soon start hence, the need for the demolition.
“The engineers from the Ghana Highway Authority and its valuation team have already taken the needed information but they are yet to submit their report.
Special attention will be attached to ensure early payment of compensation…it will be paid to the deserving people immediately the valuation team submit its report” he said.
