Some traders in Asamankese in the Eastern Region are accusing chiefs from the Oboadwan Traditional Council of harassment and unlawful ejection.

The chiefs without any empathy and recourse to the Municipal chief executive (MCE) for the area are allegedly depriving hundreds of poor traders including widows, widowers and single mothers of their livelihood and deepening their economic woes in the process, by ejecting them from their current location.

The traders are mostly hawkers selling on the shoulders of the roads, some of who have plied their trade at these locations for over 35 years and contributed to the upkeep of their families.

One of the affected traders, Mary Osei who recounted her ordeal said the chiefs stormed the place and warned them to voluntarily leave their current place or face ejection.

“We were here last week when the chiefs including the Asamankese Anankrado came warning us to cease selling here and vacate the place by Thursday. The next morning, the chiefs came again ready to eject us,” she said bitterly.

Another trader, Martha Omane, a widow, in an interview said she has been trading at the location for the past thirty years and pleaded with the chiefs to reconsider their decision.

She also appealed to the MCE for West Akim, Seth Oduro Boadu to intervene in the matter.

"I have been here selling here for more than 30 years to earn a livelihood to ensure the upkeep of my children and their schooling. We beg the chiefs not to eject us but empathise with us. My husband died a long ago and I’m a widow."

“We are therefore humbly calling on the father for all, the Municipal Chief Executive for his intervention since we know how helpful and supportive he has been to traders and commercial drivers and the entire community,” she pleaded.

Another aged helpless single mother, Grace Ofori who said she has been in this business for the past thirty-five years narrated her predicament. She said, “It has become a nightmare for us when the chiefs started the ejection exercise."

"They are depriving us of our source of livelihood and l have children to [feed]. Kicking us out would therefore deprive us of our livelihood and complicate our economic woes and render us incapable of meeting our responsibilities towards our grandchildren and children."

The action by the chiefs compelled the traders to march to the office of the MCE, Seth Oduro Boadu to intervene in the matter and as a matter of urgency, save their sources of livelihood and families from ejection or being booted out.

This was followed by a public announcement on the orders on the MCE denying that the Assembly had instructed the ejection of the traders which also urged the affected traders, not to corporate with any unauthorized ejection exercise.

The traders, therefore, expressed gratitude to the Assembly Chief for his intervention.