Some coffin makers at Asafo-Asem in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region, on Tuesday, 7 December 2021, demonstrated against the Assembly over its plans to evict them from their current location.

The coffin makers who number about 1,000, are expected to vacate their current location by Saturday, 18 December 2021.

According to the aggrieved coffin makers, the KMA has allocated their current location to a private developer.

Speaking to Class91.3FM’s Ashanti regional correspondent Elisha Adarkwa, the coffin makers appealed to the government to find a new place for them, since they have no place to relocate to.

“This is our shop even though we don’t have papers to show this place belongs to us but look at the number of persons here, and you say you’re evicting us without giving us any place? So, now, the question is: where are we going? So, we’re appealing to the government and Asantehene to give us a place”.

“We’re appealing to the government that as he [president] said 1District-1Factory, I think this is more than the 1District-1Factory. So, he should give us a place for us to stay because this is part of the 1District-1Factory initiative and, as you can see, the numbers have multiplied here”.

“We’re more than 1,000 and I don’t think any factory can accommodate 1,000 people; so, he should help us,” one of the coffin makers, Attah Jah Bless, said.

Another coffin maker added: “All that we’re asking from the government is that the government should allocate a place for us. The place is not for us, we can’t say the place is for us but so far, we’re occupying here and we’re working here, we do pay taxes to the government, so, if they’re saying they are moving us, where do they expect us to move to?”

Meanwhile, the Assemblymember for Asem, Mr Kusi Serebor, has refuted claims by the coffin makers that the KMA is evicting them.

He indicated that the assembly is not evicting the coffin makers but has rather allocated the land to a private developer for redevelopment.