Shop owners operating around the Nima residence of President Akufo-Addo who are to be evicted next week say they’re content with the compensation package given them.

The shop owners who have been operating for more than two decades have been given a March 15 deadline to relocate after receiving various compensation package.

The compensation package ranges between GHC3,000 and GHC10,000.

Reports say the National Security has asked them to pack out of the place as their continues presence constitute a security threat.

Persons including the Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey has described the eviction of shop owners as “mean” and “exploitative.”

He told Starr News that the move will impoverish the shop owners.

“The compensation being paid to the President’s neighbours who are being evicted for security reasons is mean and exploitative,” adding: “The amounts paid out to them will impoverish them and cause distress and suffering to their families for many years.”

Wondering why the President is still living in his private residence instead of the Flagstaff House, Dr. Akwetey urged the President to “personally intervene and be magnanimous towards them [shop owners].

But the Leader of the shop owners, Mr. Bekoe told Kasapa News that they’ve content with the monies received as their Landlord could have evicted them without giving them a penny.

“Almost about five years ago, our landlord told us that he’s given the land to us on a temporal basis and that he can evict us anytime he’s ready to put the land to another use. We agreed that we’ll leave the land whenever he’s ready so this order for us to vacate the land is not new to any of us. The Landlord could have even evicted us and not pay us a dime. We’re okay with the compensation package. We’re fortunate to manage and live with a growth on our eyeball, rather than totally losing it.”