Ashaiman MP objects to demolition of houses

Ashaiman, April 29, GNA Mr Alfred Agbesi, MP for Ashaiman, has called on the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) to carry out its demolition exercise to decongest the town with human face so that people are not rendered homeless.

He said in a statement that an education campaign should precede the exercise ''but going out of the blue to pull down people's dwelling houses will mean throwing them into the streets and making them refugees in their own town.''

Mr Agbesi said originally the public was made aware that the decongestion exercise was to affect street hawkers particularly those along the Ashaiman market street and nowhere was it stated that dwelling places would be affected.

The MP said majority of the people at Ashaiman are low-income earners and pensioners so they must be dealt with a lot of patience and human feeling.

''My office has received several petitions pleading that they are spared since they will have nowhere to lodge.''

Mr Agbesi said some of the houses at Ashaiman were built long before the TMA came into being and that the TMA, Tema Traditional Council and some assembly members took monies from house/land owners to regularise their stay.

''TMA numbered the houses and structures and do collect property rate from them. In some cases a single room in Ashaiman houses about 15 people,'' he said and wondered where they would lodge when the structures are demolished.

The MP alleged that people are taking advantage of the exercise to settle old scores and "discrimination, favouritism and politics have taken better part of the exercise".