Site of the Ouaga-inter station: the town hall gives the reasons for the eviction of the merchants

2023-04-20 00:29:10

The director of cabinet of the PDS, Clément Ouango: “the objective of the eviction was not to hurt the merchants, but to ensure that the carriers can access their site”.

The town hall of Ouagadougou hosted a press conference on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, to explain the adventures of the eviction of livestock traders who were installed on the site of the Ouaga-inter station.

The municipality of Ouagadougou used force to clear out the cattle dealers, installed on the site of the bus station, in order to force them to join the new reception site, located in Lanoag-yiri, in the district 11. Five days after the operation, the municipal authority hosted a press conference to explain the adventures of this eviction, Wednesday April 19, 2023.

According to the chief of staff of the President of the special delegation (PDS) of the commune of Ouagadougou, Clément Ouango, the facts date back to 2022. Through press releases, disseminated on April 25, 2022 and July 15, 2022, the PDS, Maurice Konaté , invited these merchants to make arrangements to vacate the premises no later than November 30, 2022.

Despite multiple steps, involving in particular customary and religious notabilities, undertaken throughout the year 2022 for an amicable management, the site of the bus station was still occupied by livestock traders. Anything that prevented its effective opening. This is why, he said, the municipality was obliged to mobilize the competent forces, Saturday, April 15, 2023.

During the operation, Mr. Ouango said, 1,382 heads of animals as well as various other goods were seized and impounded. Will the owners be compensated? What exactly is the quality of the infrastructures of the new site? asked the media men. For the chief of staff of the PDS, the authority resorted to administrative law to carry out the execution ex officio.

In doing so, there is no possible compensation and the occupants bear all the related consequences. The Ouaga-inter bus station, made up of large coach boarding platforms, administrative, health and commercial buildings, taxi parks, according to the representative of the Municipal Agency for Major Works, Elie Sawadogo, will serve all the provinces.

It meets international standards with its special solar roof. Regarding the Lanoag-yiri site, it has a sufficient area to accommodate traders. It is also equipped with a fence, a water tower, latrine blocks and lighting. “We have taken into account all the concerns of traders by widening the access routes. The amount of investment amounts to 100 million FCFA. All amenities are there,” he concluded.

Oumarou Rabo

Léon YOUGBARE (Intern)