Some of the wood dealers expressing the dissatisfaction
COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES at the Ashaiman Timber Market in the Greater Accra Region last Tuesday came to a halt in protest over the intended demolition of part of the market to pave way for the construction of the Tema-Akosombo railway.
Woodworkers, traders and drivers working at the Timber market closed their shops to express their dissatisfaction over the planned demolition.
According to them, over 3,000 sawmill operators excluding 1,500 drivers and conductors are likely to lose their livelihood if the demolition occurs.
The demolition, according to demarcation by the Ghana Railway Development Authority will affect about 30 machine and sawmill shops in the market.
Speaking with the DAILY GUIDE, Assistant Secretary of the Ashaiman Wood Dealers Association, Delali Amexo suggested that the authority can use the old railway track which has been encroached by squatters.
He accused the Railway Development Authority and the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) of failing to serve them prior notice on the intended destruction.
“A project of this nature requires that the traders and woodworkers should be engaged by the relevant stakeholders such as the Ministry, TDC and the various District Assemblies,” he noted.
He explained that they are not against the government’s plans to revive the railway sector but want the right thing to be done.
“We want them to attach a human face to the exercise since the economy is already in a bad state and adding us to the already unemployed Ghanaians will be hell for us and the country,” the Assistant Secretary stated.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Ashaiman Timber Market Truck Drivers Association, Thomas Ahiadormey, is pleading with government to take a second look at the whole plan since demolishing the sawmills will take the operators out of business and about 1,500 people will be unemployed.
From Vincent Kubi, Ashaiman