The two ministers in a meeting with elated onion traders at Adjen Kotoku
A GOVERNMENT delegation led by the Minister for Local Government, Dan Botwe and the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, visited the Agbogbloshie Market to inspect progress of work in the clearing of the place following the evacuation of onion trader sand scrap dealers at the site last Thursday.
The team later visited the Adjen Kotoku Market Complex in the Ga West Municipal Assembly where the onion traders and others have been relocated.
TheHead of Local Government Service, Nana Ato Arthur, as well as chief directors of the Local Government Ministry and the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) were part of the delegation.
At Agbogbloshie
The inspection at the Agbogbloshie Market commenced at about 8:30am with the MCE for the area, Mariama Amui, together with some security officers, briefing the team on the current state of the place.
About 20 heavy-duty vehicles –excavators, bulldozers and pickup trucks – were seen busily clearing debris from the place.
It was discovered that the place was occupied by not only onion traders, but also cattle rearers, scrap dealers and car mechanics.
There was also a plastic recycling plant, an abattoir and a transport station from which vehicles loaded passengers from the Agbogbloshie Market to the northern part of the country.
Meeting with Scrap Dealers
Following the inspection, the team then met with the Scrap Dealers Association.
Speaking on their behalf, Mohammed Ali, spokesperson for the scrap dealers, appreciated government for getting them an alternative place for their business at Kofi Kwei, also in the Ga West Municipal Assembly.
He also commended the Regional Minister for the opportunity to dialogue with them saying, “If we had had this type of dialogue in previous times, there would have been no room for all the agitation that led to some people losing their properties.”
He pleaded that with scrap dealers numbering between 4,000 and 5,000, the affected persons should be allowed to take out their wares before the structures are demolished.
“We plead that the bulldozers should soften up a bit. They should allow our people to take out their properties before demolishing the structures.”
On the new place, Mr. Ali intimated that there were still some concerns of theirs that needed to be addressed, for which they want to meet the minister behind closed doors.
“We have heavy-duty equipment that cannot be kept in the open. We have over 4,000 to 5,000 scrap dealers expected to be relocated.That is why we want to meet you at your office and put our concerns before you so we see how to address them adequately,” he added.
Regional Minister’s Response
Mr. Quartey in response announced that government would, out of two acres of the ten acquired for them at the new site, construct a mosque, a police station, a hospital and a toilet and bath facility, and pleaded that, “we want them to move to the [new] place while these structures are being constructed.”
He said an amount ofGH¢100,000 had been allocated by government to aid them in transporting their wares to the new site.
Local Government Minister’s Response
The Minister for Local Government, Dan Botwe, stressed that it is not the intention of government to destroy private businesses, especially since majority of the nation’s workforce was in the private sector.
He said, “It’s never the intention of government to make people unemployed.
“It’s the duty of government to create the right environment for them [private business owners] to work. Government will not do anything to create problems for or disturb any private business.”
Central government, he assured, will ensure that all the grievances of the scrap dealers are addressed and they’re also provided with all the needed support and infrastructure to make their new place habitable, and life over there comfortable for them.
“Whatever we have to do to ensure that you have a good atmosphere to go about your work peacefully will be done,” he added.
Stolen Cars’ Hub
According to security officials at the site, the place was also a hub for stolen vehicles. The suspects would bring the stolen vehicles there, dismantle them, burn them at dawn and later sell the parts at Abossey-Okai.
At AdjenKotoku
The delegation arrived at the Adjen Kotoku Market Complex at about 11:20am where they were greeted by hundreds of onion traders who were chanting ‘ye da’ase’, to wit, ‘we are grateful’ in the Twi language; ‘Minister 1!’,and ‘you do all’ – all being appellations for the Regional Minister.
Business operations were briskly ongoing at the time of the team’s arrival and they were immediately taken round the facility by the MCE for the area, Nii Lamptey Wilkinson after which they had an engagement with the leaders of the various associations and groupings of onion traders.
Concerns of Associations
The traders, enumerating their concerns, pleaded for the provision of a mosque, street lights and an expansion of the roads and also for the bad roads to be fixed.
Assurance
The Regional Minister assured them that, “We are not leaving you. We are going to be with you until all your small challenges are addressed.”
For his part, the Local Government Minister while commending them for their cooperation reiterated that “government will never do anything to spoil your business.”
He promised that government would provide them with1,000 pieces of building blocks, 100 cement bags and 50 street lights by Friday, July 9, as a step in addressing their concerns.
Appreciation
Leadership of the onion traders lauded government for the “well thought out” initiative of relocating them.
“We are so overwhelmed by the massive show of love and support we’ve enjoyed from the Regional Minister and government within this period. We did not know that this place was going to be such a blessing,” they confessed.
Founder and father of theonion traders also said, “Initially we thought we were going to hell. Little did we know that we were coming to heaven.“Agbogbloshie used to be very muddy but this place is serene and comfortable for us.”
Accra Traders
A group of women from Accra Central also met the delegation saying they were traders who had been displaced, and pleaded with government to find them a place for them to resume their business.
The Regional Minister and Local Government ministers assured them that government would surely address their needs.
The traders were asked to elect three leaders who would meet the delegation for discussions around their requests to be held.
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio