Sekondi MP clashes with authorities over demolition after slum fire

Tensions erupted in Sekondi on Tuesday after a devastating fire swept through the European Town slum, destroying properties worth thousands of cedis, when the area’s Member of Parliament, Blay Nyameke Armah, allegedly blocked city authorities from demolishing the remaining wooden structures.

According to eyewitnesses and assembly sources, the Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, had directed the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) to immediately clear debris and demolish all makeshift wooden structures left standing after the inferno. Heavy machinery, including a bulldozer, pay loader, and tipper truck, was deployed in the early hours of Wednesday to execute the order.

But the exercise was cut short when the MP reportedly rushed to the scene at around 2 a.m. and parked his vehicle across the path of the bulldozer, preventing demolition from taking place. Sources claim that moments later, a group of men described as “macho” stormed the site and warned the operators to move their machines or risk having them dismantled, forcing the assembly team to retreat.

The Ghana Railway Company has previously raised concerns over the impact of the slum on its nearby Sekondi station, citing safety and operational disruptions.

Reacting in a WhatsApp message, Armah fumed at what he described as a political decision made without his knowledge, insisting that the move could affect both his constituency and his political fortunes. He questioned why similar slums in New Takoradi and Agona Nkwanta had not been targeted first, asking, “What do you people take me for? How much of your personal monies have you people invested in Sekondi that you will make political decisions without the knowledge and concern of those that have poured billions in Sekondi?”

The blaze, which broke out around 5 a.m. on Tuesday, is believed to have started from an unattended gas stove. Firefighters from the Ghana Navy, GHAPOHA, and Sekondi Sub-Metro battled for hours to bring it under control due to the congestion and haphazard layout of the wooden structures. Although several properties, including electrical gadgets and household appliances, were destroyed, no fatalities were recorded.

The stand-off between the MP and local authorities has deepened tensions over the fate of the settlement, with questions now swirling around whether politics is standing in the way of decisive action in the aftermath of the disaster.