Squatters take over desolate building at Dunkirk

The remains of a three-storey building at Dunkirk, a suburb of Kumasi, which two years ago was found to be sinking and about to collapse, and was ordered to be pulled down by the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Osei Assibey Antwi, has now become a haven for some squatters in the metropolis. 

Shortly after the order was executed, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) had the perimeter of the building barricaded for public safety, but till now, no further action had been taken on the building which is now a death trap.

Inactivity on the part of owners of the building and by extension the KMA is what seems to have motivated the squatters to move in in spite of the possibility of something unpleasant happening.

Not only does the building pose a hazard to its current occupants, it also presents an ever-present danger to pedestrians who use the street in front of it.

When a team from the Daily Graphic inspected the building yesterday, it found out that the entire basement of 10 shops in the crumbling building were occupied by squatters who seemed unconcerned about the danger they were in.

They were not bothered in any way by the iron rods that were dangerously exposed or by the large concrete beams that hang perilously and protruded from the sides of the building and in front of it.

A lotto operator had also found his way into the dilapidated building.

Danger

The Daily Graphic’s attention was drawn to the building by the presence of a young boy, barely three years old, who was spotted seated on a corridor in front of one of the collapsed shops, oblivious of the danger around him.

It was gathered, upon enquiry, that the boy’s mother was inside a makeshift bedroom in one of the discarded shops in the building.
 
The mother, on seeing the Daily Graphic reporter, came out hurriedly and pulled the little boy into the ‘room’ making him cry perhaps in reaction to having been denied the chance to play.
 
Interestingly, it was discovered that most of the occupants had mosquito nets mounted on their beds to protect themselves against mosquitoes at night.

Others had curtains hung over windows to protect them against sunlight as well and for privacy.

None of the squatters approached by this reporter was ready to give out any information which made it difficult, therefore, to ascertain the circumstances under which they came to occupy the place.

Background

On October 25, 2017 the Daily Graphic reported about a building that was sinking and about to collapse in Dunkirk in Kumasi.

The KMA led by Mr Asibey Antwi, visited the site and ordered the structure to be pulled down to avoid any eventuality.

The place was immediately barricaded with roofing sheets, but unfortunately, all have vanished with time, making it easy for people to have access to the building.