Traders working in front of the VIP and OA transit terminals at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange have been evicted by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) as part of a fresh effort to clear the area and bring peace back to the public.
The Ghana Police Service, environmental health officers, and city guards formed a joint task force to support the operation, which was conducted on Tuesday under the direction of Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, the mayor of Accra.
In a statement to reporters during the drill, Mayor Allotey stated that the Assembly would not accept any kind of intrusion at one of the major transportation hubs in the city and threatened to arrest anyone who disobeyed the order.
“We are here to move them and stop them; this place is not for selling. This place is not for sale, and we are not selling this place,” he said.
“I want to make it clear that this land has not been sold to anyone. It remains public property, and no such transaction has taken place. As Mayor of Accra, I will not preside over any illegality,” he stated.
Dismissing rumors that the land had been sold to private individuals, he emphasized that the area was set aside for transportation operations and needed to stay clear to protect commuters’ safety and convenience.
The eviction was necessary because the shopkeepers had been repeatedly ordered to leave the area, but they had refused to do so, according to Mayor Allotey.
He said, “Have you seen how here is cleared?” expressing his delight with the exercise’s outcome. “That is how I want to see this place.”
He warned that any attempts by traders to return would be met with firm action and urged everyone, including transport operators, to support the AMA’s efforts to keep the city disciplined and orderly.
Source: newsthemegh.com