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PPP Aspiring National Chairman, Nana Ofori Owusu has waded into discussions regarding the relocation of traders around the private residence of President Akufo Addo, calling on the government to rethink its decision.

Minister of Information and Presidential spokesperson, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, over the weekend, debunked claims that shop owners and traders around the private residence of President Akufo-Addo were given only a week's notice to vacate the place.

According to a statement by the Presidency and signed by the Information Minister, the leadership of the artisans and traders requested for a six-weeks grace period from National Security, beginning from the last week of January 2018, to enable them to relocate, which was granted.

He also added that the President personally paid compensation packages from his own resources to some of the traders and artisans after National Security had concluded negotiations with them.

But speaking on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, PPP Aspiring National Chairman Nana Ofori Owusu wouldn't accept this explanation and action by the Presidency to eject these traders and artisans.

To him, relocation of people around the President's private residence shouldn't have cropped up because Nana Akufo-Addo is expected to stay at the residence provided for him at the Flagstaff House.

However, he believed the best solution to the matter should have been for the traders and artisans to be "retrained and retooled" and handed over new jobs and not vacate them from the private Presidential residential area.

He asked if the National Security apparatus has declared the people to be national risk and so deserves such treatment.

“Have we been told that they are a threat? The National Security, have they adduced any reason why there’s a threat against the President? . . . as a people, we have the right to know because if my President is not safe, I want to know and then I want my President safe . . . The President has been at this residence. He has been a career politician. He has risked his life. ‘Kum Me Preku’ demonstrations and all those things, we didn’t see that we want to move our President out of there . . . now he is voted for as President and it becomes necessary for traders around his residency to be relocated?" he asked in a voice tinged with incredulity.

Nana Ofori Owusu told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that it's the President's choice to remain at his Nima residence, therefore the people must not suffer for his decision not to move to the residency provided him at the seat of government.

“He has a Presidential residency. His residence is his choice. He chose to be there . . . People should be trained and they should be retooled . . . Some of the people should be retrained to engage in a new profession. This is in line with best practices”, the PPP activist stated.