Henry Quartey (right) joined by the La-Nkwantanang -Madina MCE (middle) to inspect the Madina Market
THE GREATER Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, yesterday embarked on an inspection at the Madina-Zongo Market in Accra following reports of traders selling on streets.
The minister was joined by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the La-Nkwantanang-Madina Assembly, Jennifer Dede Agyabeng and some officials from her outfit who spent the morning hours of Monday touring the facility to assess whether or not it was suitable and convenient for the traders to ply their business.
According to the minister, the La-Nkwantanang-Madina MCE reported that some traders had pitched camp along the Madina-Zongo Junction stretch between two footbridges.
However, she, together with some police officers and other stakeholders managed to dialogue with the traders who eventually, voluntarily moved into the market being a 22-acre space of land known as the Bohye International Market.
Commenting on the exercise in an interview afterwards, Mr. Quartey expressed his delight at the facility saying: “For the first time, I have seen a market with hygienic places of convenience, church, mosque and even a place for lactating mothers to breastfeed,” adding that, “How I wished I had some of those facilities in my constituency at Mallam Atta Market.”
He said he saw that the adjoining link to the footbridge was weak, and added that the Director of Roads at the municipality would be spoken to as soon as practicable so the agency in charge of bridges would move to the site to rectify the anomaly.
Asked what plans he has should the traders return at night as has been the case in most instances, the Regional Minister, who also doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso Central Constituency said: “We are not depriving the traders of their livelihoods. Maybe, at some point, we may consider a night market so they continue their business.”
However, the night market, he added, would be regulated such that waste management agencies can also come around to do their job of collecting waste from the streets.
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio