By Bernice Bessey
Traders at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Tiptoe lane, mostly dealers in mobile phones and laptops, late yesterday morning clashed with the taskforce of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Ghana Police Service, over the demolition of stores, containers and temporary structures to give way for the Circle Interchange project.
According to the angry retailers, they were not informed about the demolition exercise, and there was no way they would allow the AMA to bring their businesses to a halt.
The taskforce personnel, who were not having it easy carrying out the demolition exercise, managed to destroy close to 50 retail business shops as at the time this reporter was leaving the scene to compile her report, the demolition work were still being carried out.
The exercise nearly swept through a mosque that was in the midst of shops at the business centre.
Some Muslim youth present were angered with the decision, and vowed to die in the fight against the destruction of the mosque.
An angered Muslim youth, by the name Abdulai told The Chronicle that the taskforce had no knowledge of what the mosque stands for, explaining that it stood for spiritual cleansing of their soul and a place to engage with the Creator.
He questioned: “How possible should people be denied their right to trade and worship?”
According to an eyewitness, the police reinforcement team flooded the Tiptoe lane when the task force was attacked by the angered traders.
Although some of the traders were verbally assaulting the police for interfering and supporting the AMA to damage their properties, the police, however, assured them that they were there only to protect life and property.
The Member of Parliament for Ayawaso Central, Henry Quartey, told the media that the demolition was illegal, and dared the police and the task force to produce an order from the court that enabled them to carry out the exercise.
Since the area falls in his constituency, Henry Quartey pledged that he would not stand unconcerned for individuals’ rights to be abused, and, therefore, called on the National Security Coordinator to intervene in the matter.
According to ACP Boyuo, the demolition would affect the mosque and any building standing in the way of the exercise.
He cited 1979 when the Accra Central Mosque was pulled down to facilitate the construction of a road the Police Commander said the Tip Toe Lane mosque would also go.
He said the police would arrest anybody who attempts to stand in the way of the demolition exercise.
Traders worrying about the incidence.
Kiosk being pulled down to pave way for the road diversion
Pix By: Eric Owiredu