UCDAG Demonstration

USED Car Dealers Association of Ghana (UCDAG) has organised a demonstration to petition to the government to resettle them to enable the construction of the George Walker Bush Motorway.
Consequently, the demonstration came as a result of information they heard from Peace FM, a private radio station in Accra and publication by the Daily Graphic on March 17, 2009 to vacate the road by Friday, March 20, 2009 to enable the contractor to start construction works.
Some members of the association, told the Daily Graphic that, there was no official letter to that effect and also, the notice came at short intervals with five days ultimatum given them.
The demonstration according to them was not being politicised, but rather they wanted their rights to be respected as citizens of the country.
They said, compensation was agreed to be paid to members, and that, but as at now about 80% of them have not been paid.
“We create employment for about 3,000 people in the country, as well as contribute to about the highest revenue to the government”, they said.
They added that if nothing was done about their petition, they would continue to resist and were even prepared to go court.
Some members of the association noted with concern that, the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) had connived with the Ghana Armed Forces to deploy about 1,000 men to collect all cars from their premises if they refused to move.
According the Chairman of the association, Mr Peter Yeboah, they heard the information from the radio station that, the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) together with the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) issued the final warning that all those Car Dealers in and around the Corridors of the proposed site for the construction of the George Walker Bush Motorway should vacate their garages or else they would be forced to move after the deadline.
Mr Yeboah said, MiDA promised to compensate and relocate them of which they spent over 200 million to design the site plan but later, they were disappointed since they could not get a sizeable land in Accra for them.
For his part, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Rev Solomon Francis Okrah, said, we are aware of the importance for the construction of the motorway but, what will be the effect of not relocating our members, some can be armed robbers, phone snatches and the likes.
They however, petitioned to the government, Ministry of Lands and Forestry, MiDA, and the America government to resettle them to a suitable place, in the interest of on peace.