Saturday, 05 September

Traders stage protest at Anloga Junction over eviction directive

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Traders at Anloga Junction embark on demonstration

Traders and transport operators at Anloga Junction in the Oforikrom Municipality of the Ashanti Region have staged a protest against the assembly following an eviction directive ordering them to clear the site, which they described as "the provider of their daily bread".

​The aggrieved occupiers, predominantly women, tomato importers, petty traders, plywood vendors, and commercial drivers, are demanding the immediate intervention of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the central government to halt the planned eviction.

​"We are pleading with Otumfuo and the government to intervene on our behalf. We've borrowed to do our business, so where will we go if you evict us?" one trader, clad in red attire, lamented.

​The occupiers claim the assembly intends to cede the state-owned land to a private developer for commercial store construction. 

While acknowledging that the site is demarcated for a proposed road interchange, the protesters maintained they will only leave if actual construction for the public infrastructure project begins.

​"Some people want us to go hungry. We will not vacate here today or tomorrow unless they start the interchange," another trader stated.

​Clad in red and black attire and red armbands, the demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions "Public land is not for private sale: we stand against the illegal sale of the Interchange land," "Where should we go? Our families depend on this land for their daily bread," "Protect our jobs: stop the eviction now," and "Sadat is not a good MCE," among others, directly targeting the MCE of Oforikrom, Anwel Sadat.

​"This is government land", a commercial driver argued, stressing "if the government comes to construct the interchange, we've no problem; however, we will not sit for an individual to take government land for their personal interest. We will not sit for government land to be sold to an individual. Where will we get our daily bread?"

​According to the occupiers, an earlier attempt to remove them failed but they have now been issued a Friday, September 4, 2026 deadline to clear the site. 

They further alleged that the eviction directive stems from private interests rather than an official government mandate.

​"It was an individual who gave us the directive to vacate; it wasn't the government," another disgruntled driver complained, adding "we've channelled our grievances to the Ashanti Regional Minister, yet some individuals are still behind pushing for our eviction".

​The traders expressed severe concerns over the economic fallout of the order, citing outstanding business loans and the loss of livelihoods for families dependent on the site for survival while appealing to authorities to prevent private development on public land.

 

 

Source: Elisha Adarkwah/classfmonline.com