Conform To Covenant On Force Evictions-Amnesty International, Ghana Warns

Story: Stephen Bonsu

Amnesty International, Ghana Section, has hinted to the Ghanaian government of its non-conformity to and breach of the United Nations (UN) covenant on ‘the right to adequate housing due to the government’s frequent deployment of forced evictions in the Accra Metropolis.
Article 11 (1) of the covenant noted out by UN stipulates that special attention should be paid to, “undertaking major clearance operations and should take place only when conservation and rehabilitation are not feasible and relocation measures are made”.
Also in the global strategy for shelter from 1988 to the year 2000, the general assembly adopted in its resolution 43/181, that, the fundamental obligation (of Governments) is to protect and improve houses and neighborhoods, rather than damage or destroy them.
The director of Amnesty International, Ghana Section, Mr. Lawrence Amesu, addressing the media, stated that “Government has not ensured full compliance with Ghana’s international and regional human right obligations and commitment as explicitly set-out in the treaties has rectified”.
With reference to Abuja and CMB forcible eviction, the director said that the action possibly deprives residence of their homes, including women and children, and in most cases with their means of earning their living.
He added that the eviction was done without enough notification or compensation or an alternative means such as relocation with accommodation.
“Forced evictions are un-tolerable under the UN treaty and as such, government must go through the rightful means of property eviction for national development”, he added.
He beckoned on the government to conform to the covenant and seek to redress its mode of eviction of homes for possible development as it is a violation of affected victim’s internationally enshrined humanitarian right.
He however added that Ghana has not yet committed itself fully to the abolition of the death sentencing penalty as agreed internationally.
Mr. Amesu therefore, questioned the reasons behind the detention of death sentenced inmates of the Ghanaian prisons since 1973, and further called on the government to incorporate the total abolition of the death penalty in the on-going constitutional review for full compliance of the treaty.
He also called on the government to ensure fast, free and fair prosecution of detained prisoners whose warrant card and document of arrest and prosecution has expired, cannot presently be traced or have no genuine evidence against, yet serving unspecified remand jail terms.
The Growth and Activism Coordinator, Frank Kwaku Doyi also added that “As with other rights, if the right to adequate housing is not being respected, protected or fulfilled by governments , then it is considered to be a human rights violation”.
He further noted out that informal settlers or squatters may not be forcibly evicted even if they are illegally occupying a land.
He explained that under normal circumstances, notifications must be made 90 days with frequent notification and alternative provision of accommodation before destruction of an individual’s property.
Although he reckoned the inability of the government to provide houses for every individual, Mr. Doyi added that the governed voted the government into power to prong them into development and improvement in future livelihood, but not problems of forceful evictions.
He added that, forced evictions through demolishing, mainly victims unaware, more often leaves victims with loss of valuables upon perpetrators invading their premises with an aim of helping out during the exercise.