Over 1,000 makeshift homes and 2,000 Kayeyi’s living in the Agbogbloshie urban slum settlement have had their living quarters demolished by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) without any prior notice.
It has come as a surprise to many for the AMA to even embark on such an exercise when the country is battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Many believe such an exercise exposes these head potters to a possible infection of the coronavirus.
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Commenting on the demolition exercise on Happy98.9FM’s Happy Morning Show was the Assemblyman for Agbogbloshie, Musa Ziade who said, “the demolition exercise which started 3 days ago is to supposedly pave way for the dredging of the Korle lagoon, which has not been dredged for a few years now.”
Findings reveal that before any demolition exercise is carried out by the AMA, the assembly serves residents of these areas with a prior notice, and even mark structures that will be affected. But in this case, the assembly never did the needful. “The demolition notice was given to opinion leaders and not residents which is not the appropriate procedure”, the assemblyman told host, Samuel Eshun.
According to Musa, the opinion leaders in the community sat on the information and never informed the other residents because of certain assurances they had received in the past. And believes they cannot be faulted for their inactions.
The assemblyman revealed he offered an alternative solution to the Mayor, Mohammed Adjei Sowah which would not have displaced his constituents, but it fell on deaf ears and was inhumane of him {City Mayor} not to give it any consideration.
These homeless head potters now sleep outside, exposed to the elements with their chances of possibly contracting COVID-19. They also cannot go back to their hometowns as entry and exit points of the capital, Accra are locked to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
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In as much as the dredging exercise is important, many Ghanaians are asking whether the demolition exercise was necessary at such a point where Ghana suffers, and why alternative housing arrangements were not made for them to survive the pandemic?
By: Joel Sanco
