Cape Coast, Feb. 10, GNA – A two story building containing about four stores and a three-bedroom self-contained house was on Thursday, demolished in Cape Coast Town, following a Court Order.
The demolition was done after several warnings to the owner, whose name was given as Pastor Stephen Afful to halt work on the building over a land litigation pending before a Cape Coast High Court, but he failed to heed to the warning.
The Ghana News Agency saw the building levelled to the ground with some tenants trying to redeem some of their items when it visited the site on Thursday.
It also observed that passers and residents had gathered in groups discussing the issue while some of them shed tears and pleaded for time to be given to a young widow whose three bedroom house was about to be demolished.
The widow who had rushed to Accra on receiving news of her mother’s death , quickly returned when she was informed of the incident and was seen removing her belonging amidst tears this afternoon to pave the way for the demolition.
Speaking to an affected shop occupant who pleaded anonymity, she said she had no idea about the demolition exercise adding, “I had to plead with them and quickly packed my items to vacate the shop.”
According to her, the operator of the bulldozer did not allow her to remove her table top refrigerator before bringing down the buildings.
An eyewitness, who only gave her name as Araba, explained that there had been litigation on the land before the court as both parties claimed ownership.
She said some weeks ago, she received a letter from the court to be given to the owner of the building as a pre reminder of Thursday’s exercise and she delivered the letter to the owner when he went around her shop.
‘He took the order lightly thinking he could put the situation under control but the unexpected has eventually happened,” she said disappointedly.
When contacted, Pastor Afful who was sweating profusely, declined to comment on the issue.
GNA