Tanokrom-Kokompe Artisans numbering over five hundred this morning demonstrated on the streets of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis to protest against the demolition of their structures by a combine team of police and military two weeks ago and also call on the president H.E. John Mahama to as a matter of urgency sack the Metropolitan Chief Executive of sekondi-takoradi.
The group converged at the Takoradi Jubilee Park around 10.00 hours on Thursday to start the demonstration, and later presented their petition to the Regional minister at his office at Sekondi.
The demonstrators clad in red attire insisted that the government should sack the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Captain Anthony Cudjoe rtd for the role he played in the demolishing.
The demonstrators marched peacefully and displayed placards some of which say’s ‘ Sack Captain Cudjoe, capt. Cudjoe is a thief, We are Ghanaian and not refugees, Protect Ghanaians not Foreigner, Captain Cudjoe Must Go, Boys Abre etc.’
Presenting the petition Mr. Aboagye Boampong described the behavior of the mayor as markavellian tactics and called on the president to dismiss him with immediate effect.
The Regional Minister Mr. E.K.T. Addo receiving the petition promised to forward it as early as possible to the office of the president.
Two weeks ago, the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) and the Joint Police and Military taskforce demolished over 100 structures belonging to the Takoradi-Kokompe artisans.
According to the Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi, Captain (RTD) Anthony Cudjoe, the current site had been purchased by a South African investors for the construction of a modern shopping mall.
He added that a 58-acre land had been secured for the artisans at Kansaweredo-Mampong for their operations, while water, electricity and toilet facilities had been provided for them on the new site.
However, the Chairman of Tanokrom-Kokompe Ghana Garages Association, Mr Kingsford Eshun, claimed that the new site was not ready to host the over 2500 displaced artisans.
He complained about bad road network to the place, one-phase transformer which would not adequately support their operations, poor drainage system as well as the hilly nature of the land would make it extremely difficult for vehicles to visit there for repair work.
The demolition had deprived many of the artisans of their livelihoods and deepened economic hardship among them, hence the demonstration to express their displeasure.