‘Nima Palace’ unfit for Akufo-Addo – Agbee

Executive Director of the Ghana Institute of Governance and Security (GIGS), David Agbee, has indicated that the National Security offered bad advice to the president as far as the eviction of his residential neighbours at Nima is concerned.

Artisans and traders near the president’s private residence have been given an ultimatum to move over security reasons.

Mr Agbee told Moro Awudu on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Monday, 12 March 2018 that: “… We are being told that National Security has advised that all those people need to vacate the place and all that. I do not think the people really have what it takes to be able to advise the president properly because you realise clearly that it is a bad advice to the president.”

Government says Mr Akufo-Addo is personally paying his neighbours to relocate.

The traders have, however, expressed discontent with the compensation package which ranges from GHS3,000 to GHS 10,000. According to them, it is inadequate and not a true reflection of their investments.

According to Mr Agbee, the president “does not have to inconvenience many people as far as their livelihood is concerned”.

To him, the best place where the president will be most secure is the Flagstaff House which was built to serve as Ghana’s Presidential Villa and seat of government.



He said it does not make sense for the president to abandon “the Presidential Villa and live in his own father’s house and all the time cause inconvenience to the people that live around there,” and insisted that “the Flagstaff House is most appropriate, most convenient [and] security-wise most protected”.

“So, the National Security, if really they have what it takes to advise the president that is what they should have advised the president, that Mr President, now you are no more a Nima boy, now you are the President of the Republic of Ghana, the best place for you security-wise and everything, you have to move to the Flagstaff House, that is where you have to operate from but not the Nima Palace anymore because now you are above that status…then we will know that the National Security personnel have what it takes [and] knowledgeable as far as national security is concerned but you don’t just walk to the president and tell the president that all those people living around Nima area, vacate all of them so that you can be free,” he added.