THE La Traditional Council has called on the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) to investigate the demolition exercise carried out at the Kaajaano fishing community in Accra last Saturday.
The council noted that the exercise, which began around 6 a.m., involved bulldozers and other heavy equipment that pulled down nearly 500 structures, leaving many residents displaced.
According to information gathered by The Ghanaian Times, the operation was reportedly backed by armed police officers and Metro guards and allegedly led by a man identified by some eyewitnesses and affected residents only as “Gyato”.
The council questioned whether the individual who supervised the exercise had legal title to the land, stressing that as custodians, it had not been informed of any such operation.
The La Shikitele (kingmaker), Nii Adjei Koofeh IV, made the council’s position known in Accra on Monday when members visited the site to assess the extent of damage and interact with affected residents.
He described the situation as regrettable, citing that such an exercise should not have been carried out without the knowledge of the landowners.
Nii Koofeh IV indicated that based on briefings received, the team that undertook the demolition failed to produce any documents authorising the exercise.
He further stated that the Assemblyman for the New Kaajaano Electoral Area, Mr Emmanuel Nyarko Baah, had informed the council that those carrying out the demolition could not provide any legal justification for their actions.
Instead, he alleged, they resorted to acts of brutality, including assaulting residents and seizing mobile phones during the operation.
The council has therefore directed the LaDMA to ensure that any properties that could be salvaged are protected from scavengers, while temporary shelter is arranged for displaced residents.
Mr Nyarko Baah also indicated that more than 500 structures had been demolished within two days without prior notice, leaving over 1,500 residents, including children, without accommodation.
One of the victims, Ms Adokoh Ingozi, told The Ghanaian Times on Monday that she had lived in the community for 42 years and had no knowledge of the land being allocated to any developer.
She said she was not given the opportunity to retrieve her belongings before the demolition.
Ms Ingozi stated that she had lost everything, as all her possessions were destroyed during the exercise.
When contacted, Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Alfredo Nii Anyetei, emphasised that he was at a meeting and would respond later, but had not done so at the time of filing this report.
BY VICTOR A. BUXTON
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