Making Accra the cleanest city in Africa: Assemblies in Greater Region organize Joint decongestion exercise

The Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Sackey, has issued a warning to traders in the Central Business District (CBD) to cease trading on the streets and walkways.

The practice, which has been a longstanding concern for the Assembly, contributes to congestion and unsanitary conditions in the city.

Speaking to Public Relations Officer for the AMA,  Mr Gilbert Ankrah on Plan B FM late afternoon show EBAANOSEN, he told Ohene Kinnah that, the mayor led a joint team of officials and task force members from the AMA, Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KoKMA), and sister assemblies to give a final warning to traders, urging them to vacate the streets and pavements ahead of a scheduled decongestion exercise on July 11, 2023.

He said the purpose of the exercise is to improve vehicular and pedestrian movement and enhance sanitation in the market and its surroundings. The decongestion exercise is part of the#OperationCleanYourFrontage campaign and aligns with efforts to make Accra one of the cleanest cities. It is being carried out in collaboration with sister assemblies.

Mr Ankrah explained that as part of the efforts to beautify the market, the mayor authorized some traders in Tudu to replace large umbrellas with traditionally woven hats. The Assembly has also pland to introduce a demarcation plan to designate trading areas.

During her address, the Mayor advised traders to reduce the number of goods and merchandise they display for sale, as overcrowding leads to congestion and additional costs.

She highlighted the importance of occupying spaces that can accommodate their goods and emphasized the need for orderly and organized trading.

He stressed that the Mayor assured that traders had been informed of the impending exercise through announcements made by the Metro Information Services Unit of the AMA a week prior.

He reiterated that the presencenof the mayor was to reemphasize the need for traders to vacate the streets and walkways to avoid the confiscation of their goods and potential legal action.

At the Tudu Aflao station, the Mayor directed the task force to clamp vehicles parked on the roadside and remove tents erected by drivers who use the location as a station. Some traders expressed their hope for a demarcation plan to ensure uniformity and orderliness in the market.