Kumasi Railway Petty Traders Cry for Compensation After Demolition of Shops
Petty traders operating around the Kumasi Railway area are pleading with government authorities and philanthropists for compensation and support after their shops were demolished by officials of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO). The demolition carried out on the orders of the Ashanti Regional Minister came just a week after the Adum-Blue Light fire incident leaving over 500 traders stranded and without alternative means of livelihood.
The affected structures mostly temporary stalls were torn down to pave the way for a new road construction project that will run from Adum Blue Light pass through the old railway terminal and link to the Abinkyi Market. Authorities say the project is part of efforts to decongest the area and improve road access.
However, the traders say the move has left them devastated. At a press conference held on Wednesday, they described the demolition as abrupt, unjust and lacking in empathy. According to them no compensation has been offered, and no alternative trading locations have been provided.
We run our business on loans but sadly we have not been compensated or given any alternative location to do our business to earn money and pay back the loans, one emotional trader lamented.
They further expressed concern that all donations and support so far have been directed only to traders affected by the fire outbreak excluding those who lost their shops in the demolition.
But for the fire incident our shops would not have been touched by the city authorities, another trader tearfully said.
Mr. Anokye William, also known as Rasta or Paa Willi, who led the press conference appealed to the government corporate bodies and benevolent individuals to consider their situation as well.
We have also been affected, and we are pleading with everyone who can help us to come to our aid, he stated.
Several traders also claimed that they were caught off guard as there was no formal notice served prior to the demolition.
I was in the house when I received a call that NADMO officials were at our place demolishing shops including mine, said Afia Nyarko a trader whose structure was affected.
Another vendor who deals in second-hand clothes alleged that two bundles of his merchandise went missing during the exercise worsening his financial loss.
Mr. Anokye William emphasized that the traders had been operating legally with valid permits and were paying regular monthly dues to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
We’ve been here for years. If demolition was necessary authorities should have engaged us in dialogue, he added.
Despite the traders’ claims independent checks by Modern Ghana Online indicate that a notice was issued by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, before the demolition took place. This discrepancy has further fueled public debate on how such exercises should be managed with proper community engagement and transparency.
As the affected traders count their losses many are calling for more humane approaches to urban development and decongestion efforts. They argue that while infrastructure development is necessary it should not come at the cost of people’s livelihoods—especially when those livelihoods are already fragile.
The situation remains tense with many of the traders hoping for swift intervention from city authorities and charitable individuals to help them rebuild their lives.
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