The New Juaben Municipal Assembly is set to demolish the dilapidated Koforidua Magistrate court “A” building popularly known as Mangoase Court, and about 25 other shops around the court.
The demolishing is to pave way for the construction of a new court complex.
The court will temporarily be relocated to the Community center near Melcom. The place is currently being prepared for the Magistrate Court Judge and other judicial workers to relocate and operate from the room.
The Assembly held a meeting with the shop owners described as squatters on March 18, 2021, about the intended project, and subsequently issued eviction letters to them with April 12, 2021, as the deadline.
The affected occupants of the earmarked land are mostly operators of shops, chop bars, printing houses, second-hand dealers, and tailors’ shops among others.
A visit to the Court premises on Monday by Mybrytfmonline.com noticed that many of the occupants of the affected shops have vacated while others were still packing.
Some of the container shops were constructed few months by their owners hence the eviction has caused huge financial loss. Among the affected shops is a popular and longest selling newspaper agency – Sowee Newspaper Agency.
Mr. Adjetey Sowah owner of Sowee Newspaper Agency told Mybrytfmonline.com that,” the eviction is a big blow to my family. Myself and my wife all being evicted at the same time. I have not even gotten any place to relocate to. The time they gave us too was too short “
Meanwhile, table tennis players who used to occupy the Community center temporarily turned court have been displaced creating uproar among the sports fraternity who wants the Assembly to provide an alternate place for the players.
Source: Mybrytfmonlibe.com/Obed Ansah
