“Unless they kill me today…” — 70-Year old man breaks down after demolition at Sakumono ramsar site
Emotions ran high at the Sakumono Ramsar site as a 70-year-old man broke down in anger and frustration after his home was demolished during an ongoing demolition exercise in the area.
In a heartbreaking scene captured by eyewitnesses, the elderly man was seen crying, shouting, and hurling curses at security officers and soldiers supervising the exercise. According to him, he was never served any prior notice before the demolition took place.
“Unless they kill me today; I wasn’t given any notice. My children’s books and our money are inside the room,” he cried out while standing helplessly near the rubble of his destroyed property.
The demolition exercise, which forms part of efforts to reclaim portions of the Sakumono Ramsar area, left several residents devastated as buildings and structures were pulled down. Many affected individuals claimed they were caught off guard and had little or no time to salvage their belongings before the operation began.
Videos from the scene showed residents attempting to retrieve personal items from the debris while heavily armed security personnel maintained order around the site.
The elderly man’s emotional outburst has since sparked reactions on social media, with many Ghanaians expressing sympathy for affected residents while others called for authorities to ensure humane and lawful procedures during such exercises.
Authorities are yet to officially respond to the specific claims made by the affected residents regarding notice and compensation.
The Sakumono Ramsar area has over the years, been the subject of several demolition and reclamation exercises aimed at protecting wetlands and preventing unauthorized developments within protected zones.