Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central in the Central Region, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong says there is nothing wrong with the President compensating shop owners and traders around his private residence for their relocation.
According to him, the President didn’t have plans to relocate the traders but it became necessary due to the security implications of their operations.
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“I have no problem if the president has started compensating them [traders and artisans]. It’s absolutely not wrong for him to compensate them even though I’m very sure that he, initially, didn’t want to relocate them but I think it’s about time he takes his security seriously”, he said.
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Mr. Kennedy Agyapong was speaking on Adom TV’s Morning Show, “Badwam” Tuesday.
Traders and shop owners around the Nima residence of President Akufo-Addo who have been given until March 15 to vacate the area have been agitating over the compensation packages given them by National Security.
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The affected traders say the package which ranges between GH₵3000 and GH₵10,000, is inadequate and want the president to revise the amounts.
Some of the traders say they have been operating their businesses in the enclave over the last 20 years and will be stranded if they vacated the premises as being demanded by National Security.
Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance, Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey has described the removal and compensation packages to the traders as exploitative and asked the president to intervene.
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Commenting on the matter, the MP said extensive consultations between the Office of the President, National Security, on one hand and the traders and artisans on the other, before implementation of the decision was necessary.
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