CPP Youth Chase Accra Mayor

Youth of the Convention People's Party (CPP) are calling for the head of the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije.

They said they would embark on a massive demonstration on Thursday, February 2, 2012, to demand for the immediate resignation of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) boss.

According to the CPP youth, the demonstration had become necessary because the Accra Mayor had violated the fundamental human rights of the people living at Odawna-ECOMOG, close to the railway line at Circle, by demolishing their structures without official notice.

The demonstration is being organized by the youth wing of the CPP and will start at 10:00am at the Obra Spot, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, and end at the Hearts Park, where a petition will be submitted to the Minister of Local Government.

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE , the Deputy National Youth Organizer of CPP, Ernesto Yeboah said, 'The Accra Mayor has grossly abused the rights of the people living at Odawna-ECOMOG by not notifying them, relocating them and compensating them'.

He said the people living at the Odawna-ECOMOG had the right to be given prior notice before the demolition exercise by the AMA. 'No notice was served to the residents before their structures were demolished. This is against the law.'

Mr. Yeboah said the Accra Mayor had gone contrary to the laws governing the people living in the country and must therefore resign with immediate effect.

He said the government should have provided them with alternative accommodation before the demolition was carried out. 'It's the responsibility of the state to provide its people with accommodation. But the government has failed to do,' he noted.

Mr. Yeboah said, 'If the government had provided them with accommodation they would not have built structures at where by law, they were not supposed to live'.

He stated, 'We are not against the demolition exercise but what we are saying is that had the government been able to provide them with accommodation, they would not have built structures at where they are not supposed to stay. This shows that the government has failed'.

It would be recalled that the AMA, earlier this month, directed the task force to demolish all illegal structures along the railway line at Kwame Nkrumah Circle. The demolition took place just after fire gutted about 100 illegal structures at Odawna-ECOMOG, destroying goods and properties worth several millions of Ghana cedis.

Some of the affected victims claimed they were not given prior notice to evacuate while other squatters said they did not have enough time to salvage some of their belongings.

Meanwhile, Mr. Vanderpuije has told Citi Fm that excessive interference in his work is stifling progress and the good plans that he had for the metropolis.

Although he failed to mention names or institutions, Mr. Vanderpuije appealed to all and sundry to cooperate and understand the work of the city authorities in order to strive towards a developed Accra.

'There is too much influence in the AMA that needs to stop, too much influence coming from so many quarters,' the Accra mayor confessed.

'For how long shall we continue like this? When there is a standard we all have a responsibility to protect that standard,' he said.

Mr. Vanderpuije also spoke about his plans for the metropolis for the first quarter of the year.

With January drawing to a close, the AMA has commenced a number of projects, with some areas being marked for demolition.

By Cephas Larbi