Illegal tenants evicted from Olebu community health facility amid public outcry

The Ga Central Municipal Assembly Task Force has evicted illegal tenants from the Olebu Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound, following widespread public outcry fueled by revelations from Raphael Apetorgbor, the Deputy Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Anyaa Sowutuom Constituency in the Greater Accra Region.

Raphael Apetorgbor raised the concerns on a TV3's Community manifesto show, alleging that the former Presiding Member of the Assembly, George Adu Darko had wrongfully allocated the newly built healthcare facility for the accommodation of his girlfriend and several families affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) since 2017.

As a result, the compound had remained inactive for over seven years.

Abdul Rahman, the Assemblyman for Olebu, confirmed the eviction during an interview.

He stated, "The illegal occupants have been evicted, and the Assembly is preparing to renovate the compound and operationalize it to provide much-needed healthcare services to the people of Olebu."

Abdul Rahman emphasized that the Municipal Assembly is committed to addressing residents' concerns and restoring the CHPS compound to its intended purpose as soon as possible.

Raphael Apetorgbor on his part welcomed the eviction, describing it as a crucial step toward reinstating the facility's original function.

He urged the Assembly to expedite renovations and operationalize the health center to serve the broader community.

"I am pleased with the action taken by the Assembly, but the facility must be put to use immediately to meet the healthcare needs of the people.

It is unacceptable that a community health center was turned into private accommodation for years, depriving the residents of essential services," Apetorgbor stated.

He further called for punitive measures against those responsible for the misuse of the facility, arguing that such actions would deter future instances of public assets being misappropriated for personal gain.

The eviction followed weeks of public and political pressure after Apetorgbor's revelations on TV3's Community Manifesto programme, where he called for accountability regarding the misuse of the CHPS facility.