AMA to undertake another decongestion exercise

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) would commence a massive decongestion exercise this month and all who would be found hawking on streets would be prosecuted. This would commence after the new market, which would house 4,000 hawkers at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, is inaugurated by President John Agyekum Kufuor by the end of October.

Mr Stanley Adjiri Blankson, AMA Chief Executive Officer, who said this in Accra on Thursday when he received a 12-member Nigerian delegation, therefore asked hawkers to start moving to the new market this month.

The delegates comprised leaders from Kano State House Committee on Labour and Productivity; Bayelsa State Labour Council of Trade Union Congress and the Nigerian Labour Congress. The delegates, who are on an exchange programme, would also learn from Ghana's local governance.

"As from November this year it would be an offence for people to sell on the street. Culprits who fall foul to this would be punished by the law," the Accra Mayor warned. Mr Blankson said the market complex, including a health post, a Police Station a crèche and big warehouse would be known as "Pedestrian Shopping Mall."

He said the hawkers, who might not have space at the newly created mall would be housed at some traditional markets in the Metropolis. Mr Blankson said the mall would help to control hawkers and mobilize more revenue for the Assembly, which spent 60 per cent of its revenue on waste disposal.

"It would also help to control the activities of thieves, who loiter in and around the market. Hawkers in the new market would have to make use of their laminated identity cards." Mr Blankson said currently the Metropolis had a population of about five million and one of its biggest problems was migration.

He noted that because there were no jobs in most rural areas, the youth now move to the Accra to seek non-existent jobs and end up "perching" mostly in kiosks and containers. "There have been instances where vehicles have knocked down some hawkers and in the end they die. Hawkers also left behind filth."

The Accra Mayor briefed the Nigerians about the Assembly's move to improve the sanitation in the Metropolis saying its success was due to public education. He said in the past 85 per cent of the population did not pay for refuse collection but the Assembly was working on a new system known as “Pay and Dump."

He implored the delegates to come and invest in Ghana saying it was one of the safest countries in the West Africa Sub-Region. Mr Habib Hassan, Chairman on Labour and Productivity, Kano State, lauded the achievements of the AMA over the years in ensuring that the city was clean and safe for all.

He said they would sell Ghana's example to leaders in Northern Nigeria where hawkers and beggars had also invaded the streets.
GNA