Over 7,000 residents, traders, and property owners of KasoaKuda Market in Maamobi have rejected a six-week eviction ultimatum issued by the Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly (ANMA), describing it as “illegal, premature, and in bad faith.”
In a petition addressed to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), the Concerned Citizens of Maamobi KasoaKuda Market condemned the public pronouncement for the forceful eviction and demolition of their properties while negotiations for resettlement were still ongoing.
According to the group, the ultimatum was announced while the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) was actively mediating stakeholder engagements toward a relocation to the proposed Ayikuma site.
“This unilateral declaration did not only come to us as a surprise but was also shocking and a direct violation of the principles of good faith, rule of law and disregard for due process,” the petition stated.
The traders argued that the move undermines the mediation process initiated to ensure a “fair, lawful, and humane resolution” for all affected parties.
The group said its position is grounded in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, particularly Articles 18, 19, and 20, which guarantee protection against arbitrary deprivation of property.
They also cited Ghana’s obligations under international human rights conventions that prohibit forced evictions without adequate notice, consultation, and alternative arrangements for housing and livelihood.
The petitioners further traced their occupation of the KasoaKuda land to the 1970s, saying it was done through a legal process in partnership with successive city authorities, including the Accra-Tema City Council, Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), and now ANMA.
“We have met all our financial obligations to the successive City Authorities including the Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly for over 50 years and therefore cannot be referred to as Squatters or encroachers,” they stated.
They specifically called for the formation of the already agreed 10-member technical committee to address outstanding issues and draft recommendations for a Memorandum of Understanding that the MCE promised to sign at the start of negotiations.
“It is unfair and an act of disrespect to bypass the ongoing CHRAJ-mediated stakeholder negotiation process… than to resort to media propaganda while no such decision has been taken or agreed upon at any of the stakeholder meetings held so far,” the letter added.
The group said it awaits written confirmation of the withdrawal of the ultimatum and a renewed commitment to the mediation process.
