NGO criticises government on quit order to occupants on GRC land

A non-governmental organisation on Tuesday criticised the government for the quit order given to people occupying land near the railway lines.

Women in Slums Economic Empowerment Ghana (WISEP) said although the government’s railway expansion project was laudable, under no circumstance
should the project negatively affect the livelihoods of others to the extent of rendering them homeless.

In a statement issued in Accra, WISEP urged the government to consider the ultimatum, which it described as not only harsh but also a gross violation and a breach of the fundamental human rights of Ghanaians.

“We humbly caution the government to be extra mindful of its intended action of applying force to displace them if they do not voluntarily pack off as demanded by its agency, Ghana Railway Corporation”, it said.

The NGO says it is working in slums to help fight poverty, social injustice and to promote the fundamental human rights of slum dwellers, especially women in urban poor communities.

WISEP said as women became homeless, they resorted to cheaper means of making ends meet, which resulted in deviant lives such as prostitution, which increased their vulnerability to HIV and AIDS and other sexually related diseases.

“Children will end school prematurely, as parents will lose the concentration of catering for children’s education in their quest to mobilize funds to rent a new apartment to shelter their family.”

The NGO said the youth who would be affected would be lured to engage in other social vices such as armed robbery and cyber fraud which would not augur well for the country.

It called on all human rights organizations to add their voices to their plea to consider alternative means of handling the issue rather than applying force which would violate and abuse their fundamental human rights.

Source: GNA