Land owners halt construction of Accra-Kumasi bypass over compensation
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Landowners in Osino, Bunso, Saaman, and surrounding communities have halted the construction of a dual road, claiming they have not been paid compensation for their properties.
The landowners picketed at the Jasmore construction site at Akyem Asiakwa Junctions in the Eastern Region to demand their compensation due them or risk a blockade of the two major roads connecting Accra to other parts of the country.
The conflict began over a year ago when two companies, First Sky and Jusmoh, began road construction without fully consulting the affected landowners.
The affected people include landlords, chop-bar operators, mechanics, farmers, welders and electricians, whose properties were demolished to pave the way for the construction of the two major roads that may pass as the busiest roads connecting the two largest cities in the country — Accra and Kumasi.
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According to the landowners, they woke up one morning to find their properties destroyed by the construction work.
Jesse Amankwah, the leader and spokesperson for the group, Berimah Ansah Sasaraku Ofram II chief of Akyem Akyem Ankaase, told Radiooneghana.com that the demolition of their structures for the construction of the two roads had plunged them into all sorts of hardships.
According to him, Some of their fellow property owners died within the period of wait, many of them had been rendered homeless, while others were being chased by their bankers for the recovery of loans they contracted for their businesses,
“We were promised compensation, but it has been over a year, and we have heard nothing from the government,” said one of the landowners in an interview with Radio 1 reporter Desmond Tabi Odame.
“We are not leaving here until we hear something from the government,” he added.
Many of the landowners have brought their cooking utensils and beds to the construction site, determined to stay there until their demands are met.
The construction remains on hold as the landowners continue their protest.
Source: Radiooneghana.com/ Armah Paulina
