Accra’s CMB market shut down

The Klottey Korley Municipal Assembly (KoKMA) has closed down the CMB Market, near Kantamanto in Accra until further notice.

The assembly took the decision following an emergency meeting held by the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) of the assembly over the persistent failure of traders at the market to adhere to the COVID-19 preventive protocols, particularly on social distancing.

The Municipal Chief Executive, (MCE) of the assembly, Nii Adjei Tawiah who visited the market explained to the traders that the closure was due to their non-compliance of the social distancing directive given by President Akufo-Addo and the assembly at the beginning of the lockdown.

“We are closing the market as you could not reach a compromise among yourselves to comply with the rotational trading policy imposed by the government as a strategy to comply with social distancing to curb the spread of the coronavirus,” he said.

Meetings held
He noted that prior to the partial lockdown imposed on the Greater Accra Region and Kumasi and its environs, the MUSEC had held a meeting with the market leaders on the government directives regarding the preventive protocols to space their sitting as a measure of social distancing to avoid infection.

He said contrary to the agreement reached, the assembly received information that the traders were flouting the rules of engagement to the extent that their non-compliance was reported severally in the news, thus leaving the assembly with no option but to close the market indefinitely.

“We have visited this market to educate them on the COVID 19 protocols but we are now left with no other alternative than to shut down the market,” he said.

Mr Tawiah stressed that the market would only be opened after the leaders at the market agree to directives to be imposed by the assembly - sell on rotational basis as done for traders at the Adabraka market which is within the municipality.