By William Yaw Owusu
Friday February 19, 2010
Scores of residents at Apenkwa, Achimota were yesterday awakened by the sound of a bulldozer, which was used by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to demolish unauthorized structures in the area.
The AMA, which conducted the demolition exercise, said structures scattered around the Apenkwa fly-over are impeding the construction of the Tetteh Quarshie / Mallam dual carriage.
The exercise, which was initially very peaceful, turned violent later at about 10:00 am when some irate youth started throwing stones at the demolition team.
Over 100 police officers, who were supervising the exercise, could not contain the situation and had to call for reinforcement from the Greater Accra Regional Police Command.
There were no serious injuries, but the windscreen of an AMA truck, which was being used to cart demolition materials, was smashed.
But the police arrested some people.
During the exercise, properties, including kiosks and metal containers as well as make shift structures, fitting shops, drinking bars and a car garage were also destroyed.
The operation was so swift that most of the occupants could not remove their belongings and stood helpless as the CAT 966G earth-moving machine moved around to bring down more structures.
When DAILY GUIDE visited the scene at 8:38 am, a large crowd had gathered, but the exercise was ongoing with police officers all over the place.
Chief Joseph A. Okine, Director of Operations at the AMA, who led the exercise said, “It is part of our plans to decongest the city, which was launched in June last year to clear all unauthorized structures.”
He said the structures in the area, which were demolished falls within the Millennium Development Authority (MIDA) projects of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), stressing that the government is expected to construct roads to facilitate the transportation of agricultural produce.
He said the AMA would not relent in its effort to rid the city of all unauthorized structures.
Valentine Avedo, Director of Works (City Engineers) of the AMA said, “The structures are obstructing the development of the N1 Highway and if we do not take steps to check them we will spend many years to complete the highway.”
He said the affected structures were constructed without permits, adding that “we are forewarning all others who do not have permit to relocate because we are going to demolish everything.”
Reacting to complaints by some affected victims that the assembly did not serve any notice before the exercise, Abena Kweisiwa Kyei of the Okaikoi North Sub Metro of the AMA, under whose jurisdiction the exercise took place added: “This cannot be correct. We have persistently served them notice for more than a year.”
“Sometimes when our officers go around telling them to relocate, they mock them. Even if we did not notify them, these people do not have permits to live here. We want to check indiscriminate and haphazard developments in the city.”
Superintendent Sylvester Boyuo, who led the operation, said initially the police arrested two men for attempting to prevent the demolition team from carrying the kiosks, explaining that “we do not intend to prosecute them. We want the exercise to be completed and I will order their release.”
Some of the affected victims narrated their ordeal to the DAILY GUIDE amidst tears.
A 54-year-old Gifty Lartey said, “When the construction commenced the contractor did not mark the buildings along the area and for many years no official came to order us to relocate. I find it strange that today the AMA is saying that where we are living is unauthorized.”
“If the government really cares for the poor, then it should do something about this situation because the Ghana Highway Authority had already revealed that we were living on the land earmarked for the road project.”
“After voting for them this is our reward. There are no jobs in the system and they are destroying the little that we have,” a 32-year-old carpenter, Kosi Amevor disclosed.
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