There was close to scuffle between some merchants and officers from Accra Metropolitan Meeting (AMA) on the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange in the course of the decongestion train by the meeting yesterday.
What began as a verbal confrontation turned chaotic as uniformed taskforce personnel, accompanied by law enforcement officials, tried to clear unauthorised buildings and implement sanitation by-laws.
Merchants, a lot of whom had displayed their items alongside pavements and busy streets, resisted the efforts of the taskforce by forming human barricades, shouting slogans, and hooting on the officers.
The taskforce, undeterred, proceeded to dismantle makeshift stalls, kiosk, and picket extensions alongside the streets.
Items have been confiscated and loaded onto metropolis vans amid professionalchecks and wailing from affected merchants.
The Okaikoi South Sub-Metro Director, Ms Mercy Y.A.A. Odoi, in an interview with The Ghanaian Instances acknowledged that the objective of the train was to revive order and enhance each pedestrian and vehicular motion, and guarantee compliance with metropolis planning laws.
“The Mayor of Accra, Michael Allotey, has pledged to deliver again the serenity of the town. We’ll do every thing in our energy to make {that a} actuality,” she mentioned.
She additional emphasised that the AMA beforehand auctioned seized gadgets, and that observe would now not proceed.
“The Mayor has introduced that gadgets seized in the course of the decongestion train could be donated to the Ghana Prisons Service,” she emphasised.
We imagine that it’s time for collective motion.
“We urge everybody to help our efforts to take care of order within the metropolis. By working collectively, we are able to be certain that the advantages of our work lengthen past simply the Accra Metropolitan Meeting, however positively will influence the whole nation,” Ms Odoi added.
Some merchants, nevertheless, expressed frustration over the train. Madam Akosua Donkor, a clothes vendor at Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, lamented, “We aren’t towards growth, however the place do you count on us to go? We now have households to feed.”
Madam Talatu Samdu, a provision vendor, additionally expressed her frustration over the sudden decongestion by the Meeting.
“The development of the gutter contained in the market has drive me to promote alongside the pavements of the interchange. I used to be given discover to vacate the place simply yesterday night. Immediately, I received a name that my items have been seized by the meeting,” Madam Samdu cried out.
The AMA has reaffirmed its dedication to proceed with the train, aiming to make Accra cleaner, safer, and extra accessible for all residents and urged merchants and commuters to cooperate totally with the taskforce as a way to keep away from confrontations.
BY RAYMOND APPIAH-AMPONSAH AND EUGENE AMPIAW
