Residents of Amanfrom-Ashieyie Call for a Stop to Demolition Exercise

Residents of Amanfrom -Ashieyie in the Greater Accra Region, have called on the government to stop the Department of Urban Roads and Regimanuel Grey Limited from demolishing their property.

According to the residents, authorities must protect the rights of some of Ghana’s most vulnerable citizens in order not to abuse their human rights.

Mr William Afful, a Resident of Amanfrom -Ashieyie, speaking at a news conference in Accra, on behalf of his colleagues said they were asked to stop work in 2009 by Regimanuel Grey Limited for the 10.5 kilometre road construction leading to Kpone Akatamanso, Ashaiman and its environs.

He said however, last year residents were served letters by one Mr Asamoah from the Department of Urban Roads instructing them to relocate; as their property were creating nuisance on the edges of the road.

Mr Afful said residents observed that the stretch of road under construction lead to Regimanuel estates, adding that “we are also told the road is being constructed by government so how come the equipment on the road have Regimanuel Grey Limited tags on them”.

He said till date authorities had failed on several occasions to name the contractor working on the project and issues concerning their compensation as stated in the letter had not been addressed.

Mr Yaw Mensah, a Welder and resident within the community also told the media that considering about 150 houses affected and the cost of compensation to be paid, it is important for government to intervene and protect the rights of the vulnerable.

He said the area had been surveyed several times by different surveyors with different route demarcations and felt authorities were trying to have their way at the expense of residents’ interest.

“We were told this project is being carried out by government so what right does Regimanuel have to ask us to stop work. And as you can see most of the buildings here are uncompleted due to the notice,” he said.

Mr Mensah said the letters served had no letter heads and they were therefore doubting the credibility of its content and called on government to investigate the issue.

They appealed to government, through the Ministry of Road and Highways to find out if government was indeed involved in the demolition exercise.

Mr Mensah called on government to come out clearly if it was involved with regards to the compensation terms stated in the letter.

Madam Gladys Addo, a resident, complained of the thick cloud of dust caused by huge trucks carrying materials to the sites of Regimanuel estate even though authorities promised to address it.

She said the dust was affecting their health causing them to be constantly seeking funds for medication, whiles the cloud of dust also settles on their cloths on laundry days and urged government to protect their property.

Source: GNA