The President of the Greater Accra Market, Association, Mercy Naa Afrowa NeeDjan, has called on traders occupying an old structure at the 31st December Makola Market to relocate to designated temporary trading spaces to pave the way for the redevelopment of the market.
She said the project, which is being undertaken by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), will provide a modern trading environment for hundreds of traders and contribute to the development of markets in the capital.
Ms NeeDjan made the appeal at a press conference held at the market in Accra yesterday, following resistance by some traders against plans to demolish the old structure.
Ms NeeDjan said the structure had become dilapidated and required redevelopment to improve conditions for traders and shoppers.
She explained that discussions between the AMA and affected traders had been ongoing for about a year, with several engagements held to secure their co-operation.
Resistance
She said that despite the numerous stakeholder engagements, some traders continued to oppose the project and had recently staged protests against the planned demolition.
Ms NeeDjan, who is also a queen mother, alleged that some traders had pulled down sections of a fence erected around the project site.
She said temporary arrangements had been put in place to accommodate affected traders at the Accra Community Centre and Rawlings Park during the construction period, enabling them to continue their business activities without disruption.
"They said they had not been given a place to do their business, but a meeting was organised and spaces were allocated to them," Ms NeeDjan said and added that the relocation would be temporary until portions of the new facility were completed and available for occupation.
She, therefore, urged traders to cooperate with the assembly and move to the designated areas to allow work on the project to commence.
Project
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Head of Public Affairs of the AMA, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, said the redevelopment project involved replacing the existing one-storey material stores at the 31st December Makola Market with a modern four-storey market facility.
He said the area, which was used mainly for the sale and storage of hardware, electrical items and building materials, had become congested over the years due to increased trading activity and limited space.
That, he said, had created challenges relating to safety, access, sanitation, fire prevention and market organisation.
Mr Ankrah said the project was intended to create additional trading spaces, improve safety and support the decongestion of the Central Business District.
On concerns that traders could lose their spaces after the redevelopment, Mr Ankrah said, the AMA had compiled a verified register of affected traders to ensure transparency and accountability in the allocation process.
