RETAIL SHOP AT ELUBO WILL UNDERMINE SECURITY — TRADERS ASSOCIATION (PAGE 35, AUGUST 19, 2010)

CONSTRUCTION of a retail shop/warehouse by Diplo FZ Limited, a Lebanese company within the ‘no man’s land’ or a buffer zone between the Ghana and Cote d’lvoire border, near the Elubo border post in the Jomoro District in the Western Region is likely to undermine security of the area.
The huge building, which has been completed and expected to be inaugurated by the end of this year, is located very close to the security fence of the Elubo border post.
The duty free shop/warehouse has also been constructed on a pedestrian pathway leading to the Elubo border and therefore, it is likely that people would be inconvenienced by the activities of the company, if they were allowed to operate in the security area.
It was also noted that in 1998, a certain company started the construction of a building outside the security fence wall for a similar purpose but national security was alerted and the project stopped.
An inspection of the security zone by media practitioners indicated that the uncompleted old structure which was stopped is still in existence, while the newly completed building is located behind the old structure.
The people of Elubo, particularly the Elubo Traders Association, are therefore, apprehensive of the situation and have called on the authorities to stop the project immediately in the interest of national security and the Elubo town.
Speaking at a news conference on the situation, the Secretary of the Elubo Traders Association, Mr Evans Ampomah Dacosta, stated categorically that the operation of the Lebanese company outside the security fence would not only be inimical to the security of the nation, but would also breed smuggling and subversive activities, and therefore, should not be countenanced.
“We the traders of Elubo condemn in no uncertain terms any Ghanaian who is toying with our livelihood by helping the Lebanese in their quest,” he stressed.
Mr Ampomah Dacosta said the claim that the Lebanese would sell limited items and not retail was a figment of somebody’s imagination.
He explained that Diplo FZ Limited, a subsidiary of Forwin Ghana Limited came to Elubo as a wholesaler of drinks and that just about four years, it started selling everything, including tomato paste, black thread used by women to plait their hair, mobile phones and machetes.
Mr Ampomah Dacosta, therefore, urged the government to think about the security of the country, the interest of Ghanaian traders, as well as the interest of the land owners, the people of Elubo and the Elubo town.
“Without the Ivorians entering Elubo to buy, there will be no Elubo and this can only come about if the Lebanese will be allowed to operate behind the security fence where the Ivorian traders will get everything to buy without entering Elubo,” he emphasised.
The Abusuapanyin of the Royal Asona Stool Clan of Elubo, Nana J.B. Mensah, stated that when the construction of the building was started, an order from national security was given to stop work.
He said following the order, the Lebanese company feigned compliance and stopped the work for sometime.
Nana Mensah said the company came back to the project in full swing and completed it within a period of less than two months.
He said further investigations had revealed that whilst the structure was erected outside the security fence or in the ‘no man’s land’, the original security fence had been redirected.
“This behaviour of the Lebanese and his collaborators is seen by many in our area as an affront to our sovereignty and a threat to our national security,” Nana Mensah said, adding “Remember that our fears are genuine since we are the front-line targets in case of any eventuality”.