General News of Thursday, 30 September 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
2021-09-30
• Buduburam Refugee Camp is being demolished by the Gomoa East District Assembly
• The exercise is to create space for the establishment of basic amenities
• The camp has been named as a hideout for criminals
Residents of the Buduburam camp are pleading with the government not to move them away from the camp as they do not have any alternative place to relocate to.
They called on the government to reconsider the decision or provide them with an alternative for their relocation.
This plea is on the back of the ongoing demolition by the Gomoa East District Assembly to pave way for development which includes the establishment of Senior High Schools and market centres.
The camp was set up as a refugee base for Liberians in 1990 but was decommissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in June 2010.
The camp, which has become a settlement, is now known to be a hideout for social deviants, including alleged robbery gangs.
Even though these criminal acts have not been mentioned as the reason for the demolition, some residents are calling on government to provide more security in the area instead of resorting to demolition.
In an interview with Ghanaweb, a resident said “I’m from Volta Region and I came to Accra which is a regional capital. I came to settle here to re-establish myself with my family, so now that you want to demolish the place, where should we go? We beg Akufo-Addo to help us. For those involved in criminal acts, they should provide tight security so that those of us hustling here would be free.”
“If they insist on demolition this place, then government should provide us with a place to relocate to, so there can be peace.” He added.