AMA orders squatters along Odaw River to vacate

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has served notices to squatters who have settled along the shoulders of the Odaw River from Avenor to Adabraka to vacate or face forceful eviction to facilitate the dredging of the river.

Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive gave the order when he led a joint ‘Operation COVID-19 Safety’ and Sanitation Taskforce team to inspect the ongoing dredging of the river.

The Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) was accompanied by the Municipal Chief Executives of Korle Klottey and Okaikwei North, Nii Adjei Tawiah, and Nii Boye Laryea respectively with other officers from Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited.

Mr Adjei Sowah said the ongoing two-year dredging of the Odaw River and the Korle Lagoon was part of efforts to prevent flooding and rid the city of filth, but the structures close to the banks of the river had made it difficult for the heavy-duty equipment to navigate and dredge, hence, the notice for the squatters to vacate.

"This is done every year and they are fully aware of it, so we came here to remind them to remove the structures within 48 hours to pave way for the dredging or face forceful eviction... The banks of the river serve as one, a pathway for the heavy-duty equipment to navigate and then as a buffer zone to accommodate runoff water anytime the river overflows its banks," he explained.

The MCE noted that right from the Avenor bridge up to the Graphic Road section of the river, residents, and squatters living alongside the shoulders of the channel dump all manner of solid waste into the drain.

"We are also enforcing our sanitation by-laws and the wearing of nose masks so we go round the city and compel people to clean when we see any filth or issue summons," he said.

The Odaw River, which runs through the Accra metropolis, flows from the Abokobi and Adjankote hills through Ashongman, Atomic Energy area, West Legon, Achimota, Alajo, Avenor, Agbogbloshie and finally into the Atlantic Ocean through the Korle Lagoon.