Effutu MCE ‘in trouble’ after allegedly demolishing over 20 houses without court order

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Effutu in the Central Region, Kassim Zubairu, has been accused of unlawful demolishing of over 20 houses at Gomoa Pretu-Akyir near Winneba on Friday.

Information gathered from the ground indicates that the MCE had lost a court case against the owner of the land, Mustapha Ali Haruna, last week Tuesday which is believed to have infuriated him to conduct the exercise.

According to Mr Mustapha, the assembly had been offloading faecal matter onto the land with a Memorandum of Understanding. Having stopped drivers from disposing of the faecal waste on the land, the MCE sued him, but the court dismissed the case last Tuesday.

“The very day the court dismissed the case was when he sent assembly members to take our building permits. We told them we have the permits but were not readily available so we would produce them the following day.”

Three days when the owners returned to the land, Mr Mustapha continued, the MCE’s men had demolished the buildings in the area.

Mr Mustapha together with other victims of the demolishing claimed that the land in question falls under the Gomoa Gomoa Pretu-Akyir. Therefore it baffles their mind why the MCE would undertake the exercise outside his territory.

Meanwhile, some of the landlords have called on President Nana Addo and NPP government to intervene to prevent further distraction of properties belonging to private individuals.

“They claimed that Mr Afenyo-Markins [MP for the area] is aware which I believe he will never and ever support such an evil act conducted by Zubairu,” one of the victims said.

“We have followed the party even from opposition, and if such behaviour is tarnishing the image of the party, then what is the President doing about it?” another said.

“I have contacted my lawyers who are on the case to press charges against all who undertook the exercise. The damages is around GH₵9 million,” another aggrieved person said.

However, the MCE for Effutu, Kasim Zubairu, has denied the allegations being levelled against him.