The Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South and former Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Nii Okoe Vanderpuije, addressed concerns regarding the series of demolitions conducted during his time in office.
He emphasized that these actions were taken with the aim of prioritizing public health and promoting the broader national interest.
In a recent interview on Channel One, Okoe Vanderpuije thoughtfully responded to criticisms, highlighting the necessity of these demolitions in the Greater Accra Region, particularly during a challenging public health crisis.
“Every demolition I led in Accra, there was a reason behind it. If you think of the High Streets, the beach side, at the center of demolition, it was to stop cholera at that time. It was at a high end, people were dying. And medical officers traced it to that community,” he explained.
He elaborated on how the outbreak was linked to a particular area, where challenging sanitary conditions contributed to significant health concerns.
“We went in there, and we were told to stop what was happening. People were defecating when we went in. People were buying waakye, eating banku, and we had to clear that to eliminate it. The outbreak came down, and for about 4 or 5 years, Accra was okay. Until recently, two or three years ago, it came back again,” Vanderpuije recounted.
He also highlighted the importance of the demolition at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, underscoring its urgency in light of diplomatic considerations expressed by the United States.
“The next demolition I can think of is Circle, and that demolition was very necessary because the US had threatened to make a decision that was going to affect the economy of Ghana due to the human rights abuses there,” he said.
“Why should we sit down and allow a group of people to tarnish our image to the extent that it will cause us economic hardships?” he added.