Maamobi eviction: Occupants of government lands deserve no compensation—Ayawaso North Assembly

Residents at “Kasoa Kuda” at Maamobi  in the Ayawaso North Municipality will be evicted without compensation because the lands they occupy belong to Government, a source at the Assembly has said.

The source, who is familiar with these matters, told the Ghana News Agency on Thursday that residents on the land were given notice of eviction in 2019, after which the Assembly commenced demolition of some structures the same year.

She said aside the notice given in 2019, the residents had been recently notified about the demolition.

According to the source, the lands were being occupied by foreign nationals, including Liberians and Nigerians, who had paid rent to landlords living outside Accra.

“The protesters are tenants who have paid rent for many years and are asking for compensation because for them, they have already paid rent,” she said.

She said some of the residents had provided documentations to prove that indeed they owned properties on the lands.

The source said a stakeholder meeting was held last week over the issue, after which a Press Conference was organised yesterday by Chief Imoro Baba Issah, President of Zongo Chiefs in the Ayawaso North Municipality.

The Press Conference was attended by all Zongo Chiefs in the Municipality and their stance was that the evacuation should be carried out with no compensation for occupants of the lands.

She said even though it was being rumoured that the eviction would be carried out on August 28, 2022, the Assembly had not yet set a date for the exercise.

Some residents of the Maamobi market area in Accra this morning protested against the Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly’s plan to evict them “without compensation”.

The affected residents have lived the state land over the year while the Government has hitherto failed in its attempts to demolish illegal structures on the land to allow for the construction of a market complex.

The residents however say the notice for the eviction is short, hence the protest.

Source: GNA