Traders operating under the Peaceful Settlement Association in Ashaiman have protested what they describe as an unlawful attempt by the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) to evict them from a disputed parcel of land currently under a court injunction.
The traders claim they legally own the land and possess valid ownership documents, insisting that any attempt to remove them before the conclusion of ongoing court proceedings would be unlawful.
According to the group, several traders have already lost their shops and livelihoods following repeated eviction threats, as the Assembly has issued a one-week ultimatum for occupants to vacate the area ahead of a planned demolition exercise.
Speaking to the media, spokesperson for the Association, Jeffrey Eli, accused the Assembly of disregarding due process and warned that members would resist any forceful eviction.
“Just yesterday, we were here when some task force individuals from the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly came around to write notices on our shops, all the way from here to the traffic light and then to the Tema road, indicating that they are giving us one week to remove our wares from the shops.
“When we tried to ask them why they were writing notices on our shops, which are on land that belongs to us, they told us they had been instructed from above to issue the notices and that we should move within one week,” he said.
Jeffrey Eli further stated that the latest development is not an isolated incident, alleging that similar actions have occurred repeatedly whenever court proceedings involving the land intensify.
“In fact, this is not the first time this has happened. This is almost the third time this has happened. And it always happens anytime we have court cases because, as it stands now, we are in court with GPRTU and one private developer,” he added.
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