More than 2,000 families in Gbawe Gonse, within the Weija Gbawe Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, are facing compulsory eviction due to a demolition order issued by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL). Last Monday, several houses were marked with red paint and labeled "to be demolished by GWCL," with the date October 9, 2023, indicated.

0

The markings were carried out by individuals suspected to be associated with the Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly and the GWCL, overseen by armed personnel in military uniforms.Upon visiting the area, it was observed that houses, some located over 600 meters from the river and others on nearby hills, were marked for demolition.

1

This action has caused confusion among the residents, as there was no indication of when the demolitions would occur or any grace period for them to evacuate.Mr. Asare, a long-term resident and a government appointee to the Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly, appealed to the government to prevent the demolition and protect lives. “The marking was done on October 9, 2023, and that was the date they wrote on all the buildings.

2

This has left most of us confused because it doesn’t state when the demolition would be done or give us grace period to evacuate our buildings,” he added.He emphasized the need for an engagement between the GWCL and the residents to find permanent solutions.“We support any initiative to protect the water body but that must not involve the use of the military”, he stated.

3

The planned demolition has left homeowners and residents, including those in Agape Down, Agape Royal, and Ablekuma Joma, in a state of fear and uncertainty regarding the fate of their properties worth millions of Ghana cedis. The previous demolition in Joma, a nearby community in the same municipality, occurred without prior notice or compensation to the victims.

4

This impending demolition would be the second in 12 years in the same area by the GWCL, following the demolition of over 500 houses in December 2011.<img alt="" class="wp-image-574308" />One of the affected houses During the first demolition, the GWCL cited encroachment of the Densu River buffer zone as the reason. However, the current demolition lacks clear reasons, especially as many marked houses are far from the buffer zone.

5

Residents expressed their distress, recalling the hardships endured after the first demolition. They pleaded for government intervention and emphasized their citizenship and right to shelter.During the visit, it was revealed that residents were just concluding a meeting to determine their next steps. Distressed residents, particularly women, appealed to the government for assistance.

6

They highlighted the services provided to the community, such as GPS addresses, property rates, and electricity supply, questioning the sudden demolition without addressing the existing injunction against it.Residents also questioned the role of various government agencies that allowed land sales and construction after the first demolition over a decade ago.

7

When contacted, the GWCL's Head of Communications, Stanley Martey, refrained from commenting on the matter, stating that the company was unaware of the demolition exercise.

8