Some Accra central traders to be relocated
The Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) is set to relocate some traders from the Central Business District (CBD) of Accra to the Adjen Kotoku Market in the Ga West Municipality.
The move is to ease congestion and ensure free flow of vehicular traffic within Accra.
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The targeted groups are traders who engage in bulk breaking activities in some of the busy markets in the metropolis.
The market
The Adjen Kotoku Market, which is a bulk breaking market complex, was started in 2008 and completed in 2011.
It was originally built to accommodate traders in the Agbogbloshie Market to ease congestion in the area.
The project comprises a platform for loading and unloading of goods, and 95 sectional storage units of approximately 30 metres square each with secure locking facilities.
It also has a senior high school, health centre, a police station, and a fire station.
Since its completion, however, the market has been abandoned without any governmental intervention.
Improving sanitation
During an inspection tour of the market, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey, said the move would improve sanitation in the metropolis as a component of the “Let’s Make Accra Work” initiative.
Among the delegation were the Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, and the Municipal Chief Executive Officer (MCE) of Ga West Municipal Assembly (GWMA), Mr Clement Nii Lamptey Wilkinson.
“This is not to make life difficult for the traders, but we think that moving them here will rather boost their business because this is a better and a more modern approach. Where they are currently, some don’t even have a place to keep their wares and this market will address that challenge,” the minister said.
He said the structure contained all the essentials of a modern market which included schools and relevant security.
Additionally, Mr Quartey said, there was a landfill site in the area, indicating that issues of sanitation would not be a challenge.
He, therefore, urged the traders not to drag their feet but to rather take advantage of the opportunity to ensure that Accra becomes a true reflection of the modern day city.
Conducive environment
The CEO of AMA said following a meeting initiated by the assembly, many of the traders engaged in bulk breaking activities had agreed to relocate.
Currently, he said, some had temporarily been moved to the Arts Centre to ease the over-concentration at the CBD.
“The onus now lies on us the city authorities to provide the necessary infrastructure to ensure that they trade in a conducive environment so that people don’t consume any toxic substance and that is why we have thought it wise to relocate them here,” he added.
Sustainability
The MCE of GWMA also indicated that the area was the gateway to Accra so the relocation would rather boost their businesses.
He said the new market would also reduce the spillover of traders in the city.
Mr Wilkinson gave the assurance that the assembly would adopt a good maintenance culture to ensure the sustainability of the facility.