The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Odododiodio Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has threatened to take legal action to restrain the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) from carrying out a demolition exercise at Agbogbloshie.
He described the one-month ultimatum given to a section of the residents to vacate their dwellings of more than 1,000 structures to make room for the demolition exercise, as a gross violation of their fundamental human rights.
“Because we want to seek relief at the Human Rights Court, we have spoken to some human rights lawyers to make sure we are using legitimate means to stop the AMA from its intended and insensitive demolition exercise. We will go to court before the September 15, 2018 deadline,” he said.
Mr Vanderpuye made his intention known last Thursday when he visited the area at Agbogbloshie that had been ear marked for demolition by the AMA.
Recall
The Daily Graphic reported last Friday that tension was mounting at Agbogbloshie, following the AMA’s decision to carry out the demolition exercise that was expected to render about 8,000 people in the area homeless.
About 1,800 structures, stretching from the Ghana Railways offices area, behind the Accra Brewery Limited, to the Agbgbloshie Station, close to Sikkens, are to be pulled down.
The move by the AMA has, however, been met with stiff resistance from the residents who said they had not been given notice of any such exercise.
The Assembly Member for the Korle Dudor Electoral Area, Mr Ashong Katai, for instance, described the move by the city authority as unfortunate, especially when there had not been any form of consultation with other stakeholders.
In a response, the AMA maintained that it would not back down on its decision to demolish structures in the area.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the AMA, Mr Gilbert Nii Ankrah, explained that the portion of land on which the structures earmarked for demolition were situated was state property that had been encroached on by squatters over the years.
Mr Ankrah maintained that after the September 15 deadline, the assembly would roll out the next line of action to get the people out of the area.
Defiance
Mr Vanderpuye has, however, described the posture of the city authority as insensitive, insisting that the land was not government property.
“There is history behind this land that the people live on. It belongs to the Gbese Stool. The late Professor Atukwei Okai and other prominent people have their family houses here, so by whose authority is the AMA carrying out this demolition?” he quizzed.
He appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene to stop the AMA from carrying out the intended demolition exercise.
“When we appealed to the President on the ban on fishing for August and September he listened, so we want him to do likewise to stop this arbitrariness by the AMA,” he said.
Source: Daily Graphic
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If you have people like Nii Lamptey Vanderpuye sitting parliament passing laws for Ghana where do you think we can go. These are the me, myself and I people. They always thinks about what will benefit them. He knows very well that if these guys are move from the place he will loose votes which can affect his sit. My advice to NDC party is that they need to think about Ghana in whatever they do and say. WHAT A SELFISH PARTY IN GHANA.
when can Ghana devolope, please lets face challenges and fix our problems. Mr MP please think outside the box and help mother Ghana. kindly take this advice to parliament for debate most part of Accra needs re-structuring. places like Abeka, Nima, Mamobi, Kotobabi, Alajo, Ofankor Barrier, Pokuase,Malam, Awoshie,Alaji, Tabora,Anyaa, part of Dansonman to mention but few. what do say about these areas?
I would love to see this man walk his talk. Let him send AMA to court if he is a man? it would be nice, so beautiful to hear the court siding with this idi*ot of an mp that Agbogblonshie should be a slum in the middle of Accra. You see how some of these ndc mps hate Ghana? that party will rot in opposition. Their arrogance nature is hated by majority of Ghanaians who form the electorates and we will continue to vote them to stay forever in opposition. I'm waiting to see the magic wand they will use to overturn their 1.5 million defeat to win, which has made them grow wings that it will be very easy for them. It's so sad they still repeating their 2016 mistakes, they behaving like they did nothing wrong to demand their boot, they behaving like Ghana is their bona-fide property. They've soon forgotten their Woyome, Bus branding, Gyeeda, suba, sada, nkomfem fly away to Burkina, Isofoton, inflated contract sums with inferior materials and they think every Ghanaian think like them, act like them ,see things the same as them and 2020 they will bite their fingers and tongues because 2020 the 54% WE GO VOTE NANA to 58%, 2020 WE GO VOTE NANA for sustainable free SHS, restoration of teacher and nurses trainee allowances, planting for food and jobs, NABCO, Zongo development, rail way development, better roads and infrastructure development. GHANA IS MOVING FORWARD! 2020 WE GO VOTE NANA ! ONYAME NSA WOM ! WE GO VOTE NANA!
See the typical Ghanaian politician. Once upon a time, it was this same man who prevented traders in the same electoral area from registering to vote in the constituency. His argument was that they only trade there but not residents there. Now he has turned round saying some people will be rendered homeless? Fir-e b-urn these politicians