Traders at the Makola No. 2 Market in Agbogbloshie have welcomed a directive by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, to hand over the management of the market to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
The traders burst into jubilation when the minister announced the decision during a meeting with market women aimed at addressing concerns about sanitation, management, and the cost of doing business at the market.
According to the minister, the current state of the market showed that business was not progressing well.
She said many traders had complained that the money collected from them was not reflected in visible improvements in the market.
Ms. Ocloo said the concerns of the traders were first brought to her attention by the First Lady of Ghana, Lordina Mahama, after traders staged a demonstration over conditions at the market.
She explained that she later discussed the issue with the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, and urged him to visit the market to listen to the traders and work with them to find practical solutions.
The minister said that when the mayor visited the market, there was a heap of refuse on the premises. However, she noted that arrangements had since been made to clear the waste.
She added that some streetlights in parts of the market had been repaired, while work was ongoing to improve the area where traders buy water through tiling and proper pavement.
Ms. Ocloo further explained that under the Local Government Act (Ghana), markets or shops that are built and operated for a period must eventually be handed over to the local assembly.
She said although there had been challenges with the management of the market, the traders were pleased with the decision because it would allow their concerns to reach the appropriate authorities and ensure better administration.
For his part, the mayor of Accra, Micheal Kpakpo Allotey said the assembly had already started responding to some of the traders’ concerns.
He recalled that during his previous visit, the market was engulfed in filth but said the waste was cleared shortly afterwards.
By: Jacob Aggrey
