Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South and former Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, has strongly defended the controversial demolitions that took place in the capital during his tenure, insisting they were driven by public health and national interest concerns.
In an interview on Channel One’s Newsroom with Eno Safo, Vanderpuije recalled the rationale behind key demolitions across Accra, including areas along the High Street, beachfront communities, and the Kwame Nkrumah Circle area.
“Every demolition I led in Accra, there was a reason behind it,” he explained. “If you think of the High Streets, the beach side, at the centre of demolition, it was to stop cholera at that time. It was at a high end, people were dying. And medical officers traced it to that community.”
The former mayor recounted the dire conditions found in affected areas, describing how unhygienic practices were taking place just steps away from food vendors.
“We went in there we were told to stop what was happening there. People were defecating when we went in there.
“And people were buying waakye, eating banku, and we had to clear that to eliminate it,” he said. “The outbreak came down, and for about 4 or 5 years, Accra was okay. Until recently, two or three years ago, it came back again.”
Vanderpuije also cited international pressure in some instances, notably referencing the demolition at Circle.
“The next demolition I can think of is Circle, and that demolition was very necessary because the US had threatened to make a decision that was going to affect the economy of Ghana due to the human rights abuse there,” he said, without elaborating on the specific nature of the threat.
He emphasised the broader implications of ignoring such issues. “Why should we sit down and allow a group of people to tarnish our image to the extent that it will cause us economic hardships?” he asked.
