The Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) has ordered owners of structures sited on the Adentan-Dodowa road reservation to remove them by January 23, this year, otherwise the authority will be compelled to remove them.
The directive was to pave way for work to begin on the dualisation of the 22-Kilometre road project.
The project to be undertaken by Messrs Oswald Construction Company and expected to be completed in 24 months should have started this January, but the owners of the over 1000 affected properties along the corridor have refused to removed them despite several notices from the Adentan Municipal Assembly, thus depriving the contractor access to the site.
The Greater Accra Regional Director of the GHA, Emmanuel Laryea Odoi at a meeting with the chiefs and people of the Amamfro and Armrahia communities in the Adentan Municipality in Accra on Thursday, warned that nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the project and gave the property owners additional week to relocate them.
The previous ultimatum should have expired on January 15, but pleas from the property owners for more time touched the Director who extended the time to January 23 this year.
According to him, any delay to the project would be too costly for the government and the region, therefore, anyone who refused to comply would be dealt according to the law.
Mr Odoi stated that no one was permitted to go beyond the road reservation, so since the law was right in front of their door, they should not do anything to become a victim.
He indicated that the authority was not interested in destroying people’s properties, but just wanted to help promote the development of the area.
On issues of compensation, the regional director stated that it was only owners of indigenous properties that were there before the construction of the road would be considered, explaining that no new buildings would be entertained.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Alexander Daniel Nii-Noi Adumuah, said temporary permits issued on structures expired on December 31, 2023, adding that owners of the items must remove them for work to begin.
He said such permits could be revoked at any time, indicating that the 30-metre road reservation had been there for over 40 years and those selling on the road side did not even pay anything as such must comply with the directive to remove the structures.
The MCE said the contractor was ready to start work, but the assembly and the GHA decided to broaden their consultation with chiefs and the people for peace to prevail before commencement of work.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU