Over 2,000 families in Gbawe Gonse, in the Weija Gbawe Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, face forced evacuations following a demolition order issued by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL). The order, marked with red paint on affected houses, provides no clear timeframe for the demolitions, leaving residents in confusion and fear.
The markings were carried out by personnel believed to be from the Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly and the GWCL, supervised by armed individuals in military uniforms. Local resident and government appointee to the Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly, Mr. Asare, has called on the government to intervene to protect lives and prevent the demolition. He emphasized the need for an engagement between GWCL and residents to find permanent solutions to the issue.
The affected areas, including Agape Down, Agape Royal, and Ablekuma Joma, are concerned about the potential loss of their valuable properties without compensation or resettlement plans. This marks the second demolition in 12 years in the same area by the GWCL, with the previous exercise in 2011 causing significant hardships for residents.
During the first demolition, the GWCL cited encroachment on the buffer zone of the Densu River, which supplies the Weija Dam with water. However, the current demolitions lack a clear explanation, with many of the marked houses located far from the river’s buffer zone.
Residents are deeply affected by this impending demolition, with emotional and financial distress, and they urge the government to support them during this difficult time. They question the inaction of government agencies and point to a standing injunction against any demolition in the area, which appears to have been ignored.
The GWCL’s Head of Communications, Stanley Martey, expressed unawareness of the demolition exercise when contacted by the Daily Graphic, leaving the situation with many questions unanswered.
Source: Daily Graphic