Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital
THE KUMASI Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has sternly warned traders who are illegally occupying portions of land close to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi to leave the place immediately or be forced out.
The recalcitrant traders have for the past three years defied the assembly’s order to vacate the place to pave way for engineers that are working on a power project to do their work.
The Ministry of Energy is implementing the Electricity Distribution Sector Reinforcement Project, which is an interventional project by government, to help improve power supply at KATH.
According to the KMA, the presence of the traders, who are located around the Zoo area of the hospital, is clearly impeding the work of engineers working on the massive project.
KMA Public Relations Officer (PRO), Henrietta Aboagye, said that the recalcitrant traders would be forced to leave the place from this week if the traders refuse to leave on their own accord.
In a press release, the KMA PRO said the assembly has for the past three years engaged the encroachers to leave the place in peace but they have failed to heed to several warnings.
“Information from the Ghana Energy Development and Access Project indicates that the project risks cancellation by the financier if works are not executed according to the programme to meet the project completion timelines.”
“However, due to the encroachment around the project site, the contractor has not been able to mobilise fully to the site to complete the project as scheduled after several engagements with these encroachers for almost three years now.”
Henrietta Aboagye noted that the area around the project site is not conducive for any activity and also not safe for human habitation due to the “high load of power (33,000 volts) of the facility.”
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi