The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram Sam George has described as untenable explanation by the National Security that traders and squatters operating around the private residence of President Nana Akufo-Addo are being evicted because they pose a major security threat to him.

“The decision to evict the traders is an aesthetic decision not a national security issue,” he told Francis Abban host of Morning Starr Friday March 16.

He added, “the Nima Divisional Police Command cannot protect the President from 25 traders? That is very serious…can they then protect him from Boko Haram?”

According to the Minister of State in Charge of National Security Bryan Acheampong, the proximity of the traders to the President’s residence makes it difficult for the national security to allow them to continue to operate from the vicinity.

Traders around the President’s Nima residence were asked to vacate the premises by Thursday, March 15. The affected traders were compensated with amounts ranging from GH¢3,000-GH¢10,000.

A statement from the Information Ministry said the compensations were being paid from the president’s own resources.



On his part, the Offinso South MP, Ben Abdallah said despite the eviction exercise being unfortunate, “they [traders] had to move because the status of the President has changed.”

Also commenting on the development, a Security and Safety Expert Adam Bonaa said: “I think this was a decision that was supposed to have been taken long ago” and that he supports the exercise.