Pay compensation before demolition for N-8 highway - Kennedy Agyapong urges govt

The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has urged government to pay compensation to property owners who would be affected by the construction of the N-8 highway before the demolishing of their property.

Property owners were expected to relocate to pave the way for the road construction by Friday, May 01.

The N-8 project is from Yamoransa in the Central Region to Ahwiankwanta in the Ashanti Region.

The portion from Assin Praso through to Assin Fosu will end at Assin Atonsu.

However, some owners of temporary structures have removed them but owners of permanent structures are yet to adhere to the guidelines by the Fosu Municipal Assembly.

During a dialogue between the Assembly and the property owners, the Assembly maintained that the demolition exercise would start before the government released funds for the payment of compensation.

However, in a telephone interview with the Assin Central Lawmaker, he opined that government settled the compensation to affected property owners before it carried out the exercise.

That, he said, was to avoid the possible difficulties the delay in payment might cause the owners, which may be three years or more after demolition.

Mr Agyepong said the effects of the exercise could be dire as it would affect people who had their daily bread where the demolition would take place.