Embattled artisans embark on peaceful demonstration
Embattled artisans being evicted from their current location have embarked on a peaceful demonstration to register their displeasure at their relocation.
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The artisans marched through the principal streets of the metropolis, the market circle and the Sekondi/Takoradi highway to the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to present their petition to the President through the regional minister.
According to the demonstrators, they do not have any problem with moving to the new site, but they want proper channels and procedures to be followed by the metropolitan assembly to uphold the “rule of law and avoid corruption.”
The demonstrators chanted war songs to register their displeasure and carried placards some which read, “Protect Ghanaians, not foreigners”, “Captain Cudjoe must go!!”, “Mr President, Boys Abr3” and “Tweeeaa!, corrupt Metro Chief Executive.”
The artisans contended that the new site at Kassawurodu had been overtaken by weeds, even before they could move to the place.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr E.K.T. Addo, commended the demonstrators for the peaceful manner they conducted themselves and assured them that he would forward the petition to the Office of the President.
The petition requested that the decision taken by the metropolitan chief executive was not right and the President should remove him from office.
Support
The demonstration was supported by an NGO known as the National Movement for Economic Democracy (NMED), which is also calling for the right thing to be done.
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Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the spokesperson for the demonstrators, Mr Aboagye Boampong of NMED, called for a probe into the sale of the land in contention and subsequent evacuation of the artisans from the land.
He said evidence they had gathered indicated that top members (both past and present) of the assembly facilitated the sale of the land and instigated the eviction of the artisans.
He added that if the MCE had followed due process, the land would not have been sold to the private investor and the artisans’ shops at Kokompe would also not have been demolished.