General News of Wednesday, 23 June 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2021-06-23Relocation of Agbogbloshie onion sellers: GhanaWeb TV tours new Adjin Kotoku market
play videoThe completion of works on the market comes ahead of the July 1 relocation
• Final works on the Adjin Kotoku Market is expected to be completed by Thursday, June 24, 2021
• The completion of works on the market comes ahead of the July 1 relocation of the Agbogbloshie onion traders
• The traders are demanding an extension of the deadline
Barring any last-minute changes, traders at the Agbogbloshie market
Read full articlein the central business district of Accra have exactly 7 days left until the deadline of their scheduled relocation on July 1, 2021.
The relocation of the bulk onion traders forms part of efforts by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey’s “Make Accra Work” agenda which includes the decongestion of streets and other prime areas in the national capital.
Ahead of the deadline, GhanaWeb TV’s George Ayisi on Monday paid a visit to Adjin Kotoku to tour the new market.
Speaking to the Ga West Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Clement Wilkinson, who was on site inspecting final works on the market, he informed GhanaWeb that all works on the market will be completed by the Assembly ahead of schedule to ensure the traders are welcomed on July 1.
“We have done about 65% which by Thursday, the 100% will be done. So surely first July they are coming,” the MCE said.
After the visit to the new Market, GhanaWeb TV visited the Agbogbloshie Market to interact with the onion traders who expressed issues with the July 1 deadline given by the authorities.
In general, the traders said they have no issues with the government relocating them, but they expressed concerns about the timeline and the location of their new trading site.
“We don’t have a problem with moving there but the timeline is too short,” a trader told GhanaWeb.
The Agbogbloshie onion sellers speaking to GhanaWeb appealed to the Regional Minister for an extension of the July 1 deadline, citing varied reasons.
However, addressing the calls for extension of the deadline, the Ga West MCE in his interaction with GhanaWeb, affirmed that authorities have no intentions of making room for an extension of the deadline.
“We don’t have anything like extension, this is not about an extension. We have given two months and after the two months, we gave one month. There is nothing like an extension (again),” the MCE stated.
According to Mr Wilkinson, the new market boasts of several facilities including sanitation facilities, a police station, a fire station and a hospital among others which he believes will make the stay of the traders much comfortable than their current location.
“We have provided everything. A police station security wise is here, health wise we have a hospital, a fire station is here, a school is here. So what else? Everything is here. The difference between Agbogbloshie and here, Agbogbloshie doesn’t have the facilities that we have here,” he added.
Watch GhanaWeb TV’s tour below:
