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Opinions of Monday, 19 March 2018

Columnist: Dr Hanna Louisa Bisiw

Eviction of traders: A manifestation of the insensitive and apathetic nature of Nana Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

My fellow Ghanaians, since the swearing in of H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as the President of Ghana on the 7th January, 2017, a single day or week doesn't pass without Ghanaians experiencing a certain kind of retrogressive, breakdown in security, lawlessness, abuse of power, corruption, deception and lies and archaic style of governance either from the President- Nana Addo or any of his appointees.

As the ordinary Ghanaian is battling with how to survive in the upsurge of insecurity under the leadership of Nana Addo, we have been slapped with another bizarre and rambo style of show and abuse of power by H.E Nana Addo as he has decided to evict petty traders from all walks of life within the informal sector of his Nima family residence.

Ladies and gentlemen, what makes this eviction a manifestation of insensitive, and complete abuse of power is the fact that, these petty traders mostly women and the vulnerable have lived and interacted with Nana Addo, in all his private and public life prior to his investiture as a President.

Ironically all these years, he never saw them as a threat to his security and life.

Ladies and gentlemen, you recall that during the 2016 campaign when some youths and NDC told Ghanaian voters to be weary of Nana Addo’s promises all in the name of the ordinary Ghanaian, and stated among other things that, the Akufo-Addo,they knew was insensitive, and non emphatic to the plight of the suffering Ghanaian, especially women, and therefore didn't deserve to be a President of Ghana, candidate Nana Addo and his team of confident tricksters replied vehemently and argued that, in all his private and public life, he has lived peacefully with Nima residents who are mostly hawkers and therefore understand the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian, it therefore beats my imagination that peaceful traders in Nana Addo’s own words have become security threat, to his life and must therefore be evicted painfully with peanuts.This is inhumane and insensitive to say the least.

Ladies and gentlemen, per this single act of eviction coupled with the inability of these traders to fit into this hardship and instability due to mismanagement of the economy.

Ghanaians demand nothing but answers from the President on these questions:

(1) Why hasn't the President moved to Flagstaff House or Peduase Lodge or any other state facilities built with the best security features for the protection of a sitting President?

(2)The full disclosure of the source, and total amount of money the President gave as compensation to the traders must be made without any ambiguities. The President explanation that he paid the compensation from his personal pocket is an insult to our intelligence.

(3) In this era of advanced security measures and details, why couldn't the President opt for better advanced or technological security details instead of this old fashioned Hollywood movie Presidential security measures which is an economic threat of the individual traders

(4) Couldn't Nana Addo have used the money spent on compensating the petty traders to have constructed boreholes and CHIPS compounds for Children and women across the length and breadth of the country in other to help in reducing maternal mortality in the country, whilst allowing these traders to go about their normal business?

(5) What changed over night, the most peaceful people, according to Nana Addo's own words in opposition, have now become a security threat?

(6) What is the relevance of the oaths H.E. Nana Addo sworn on 7/01/17 to protect lives and properties and to be fair and just with all manner of persons in the country?

If your guess to the above questions is as good as mine, then we can suggest that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is busy creating a societal class in the country, where the vulnerable and the perceived poor would be marginalised.

H.E Nana Addo, hasn't been fair with these traders who are going about their normal business activities.This is an act of insensitivity of a person who doesn't associate with those struggling to make earns meet.

Thank you.