President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is paying traders and artisans around his private residence to relocate from his personal resources according to government.
In a statement signed by Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, President Akufo-Addo took the initiative to unburden the national purse.
It further added that, discussions about evicting the traders have been ongoing for a while and therefore reports that they were only given a week notice to relocate is false.
Reports indicated that the traders had expressed discontent with the compensation package which ranges from GHS3,000 to GHS 10,000. According to them, it was inadequate and not a true reflection of their investments.
The statement also indicated that: “In view of the security implications of the operations of the traders, and artisans, national security proceeded to engage with them, and compensation packages of varied sums were agreed on. President Akufo-Addo has taken the view that the national purse must not be burdened on a matter such as this, and has gone on to pay these compensation from his personal resources.
“A group of artisans, describing themselves as “the junior masters”, who were not beneficiaries who were not beneficiaries of the initial compensation, in a letter to President Akufo-Addo, dated February 25,2018, appealed to the president to be included in the compensation package, a request which the President has accepted.
“It is important to note that extensive consultations were undertaken between the office of the President, national security and the traders and artisans, before implementation of this decision. It is completely false that only a week’s notice was given to the traders and artisans to move from their current location. Indeed, the leadership of the artisans and traders requested for a six week grace period from national security, beginning from the last week of January 2018 to enable them move. Clearly this request has been met”.
