FLASHBACK: Scenes during the demolition exercise
A cross-section of residents at Effiakuma in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality of the Western Region have expressed frustration over the delay in the commencement of road construction works in the area.
They claimed that months after their houses and retail shops were demolished to pave way for the road project, work is yet to begin.
The project is part of the redevelopment of the 73 kilometre Takoradi-Cape Coast Highway under the government’s ‘Big Push’ initiative.
The residents admitted that the demolishing of their houses and shops was done after expiration of the relocation deadline.
They are however, lamenting that despite having removed their structures and belongings in January this year, the contractors have not yet started the project.
The mass demolition exercise started from the PTC Interchange area in Takoradi towards Shama. Temporary structures on the shoulders of the highway were all demolished.
Many of the affected residents, in separate interviews, told journalists that if the contractors were not ready to start work immediately after the demolition exercise, they could have allowed them to operate their small businesses in the area for the meantime.
They asserted that the exercise carried out has led to lost livelihoods.
“We are therefore calling on the contractors to honour the promise they made that the project will begin immediately after the demolition exercise,” some of the affected residents lamented.
Meanwhile, the Member Parliament (MP) for Effia, Yaw Boamah Nyarko, described the demolishing of houses and other structures as arbitrarily, and it took place without any notice.
“Nobody told me nor the people anything. This is inhumane,” the Effia MP asserted.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi