Govt initiates process to resettle displaced Old Fadama residents

The government is initiating the process for the acquisition of a piece of land at Adjen Kotoku in the Ga West Municipality to resettle displaced residents of Sodom and Gomorrah a slum in Old Fadama, Accra.

It has also identified land meant for a sports stadium close to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at Amasaman that could accommodate some of the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, told the Daily Graphic last Monday that the Adjen Kotoku land was the same piece of land identified by the previous government.
However, he said his checks indicated that the previous government did not initiate any legislative process to acquire the piece of land.
As a result of which, he said, some people had encroached on portions of the land.

Background

The issue of relocating residents of Sodom and Gomorrah has been on the drawing table for many years, mainly because of the activities of the residents which delay the implementation of the Korle Lagoon Restoration Project.
The recent demolition of some structures in the area by the city authorities following the recent floods that hit parts of Accra reignited discussion of the relocation of the residents.

Relocation plan

Nii Afotey Agbo, who granted the interview in his office, in the company of his deputy, Mr Issac Nii Djanmah Vanderpuye, and the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, said they had just finished a meeting on the land acquisition.
He indicated that he had made some calls to some officials on the drafting of the Legislative Instrument (L.I.) for the acquisition of the Adjen Kotoku land.
He said he and his team were eager to see the process through to relocate the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah.
He said the government intended to put up permanent structures for residential and commercial activities at Adjen Kotoku and Amasaman for the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Nii Afotey Agbo said he would not give any specific date for the start of the project but expressed the confidence that the project would commence by the end of this year.