Scores of traders spent Monday morning in long queues in a bid to secure better places for their trading activities.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), is relocating traders and drivers in the Central Business District of Adum, Kejetia, Pampaso, S.A.T and Dr. Mensah to Race Course and Abinkyi markets, which has the capacity to take over 4,000 traders.
The relocation exercise is to pave way for contractors working on the first phase of the Kejetia Redevelopment Project to have access to the roads around the project and upgrade them.
The exercise is also to help ease the heavy vehicular and human congestion, and to also pave way for some rituals to be performed as part of activities marking the final funeral rites of the Late Queen mother of Asanteman, Nana Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem, who passed on in 2016.
Some of the traders who do not belong to any of the trader unions are going through a registration process to enable them to secure a space.
Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Osei Assibey Antwi, says the Assembly is undertaking a demarcated exercise at the Racecourse to make the relocation of the traders easier.
“…the land preparation is almost over as this first phase, there is nothing left to be done. Every activity has been finished. What is left now is sharing the floor space,” he disclosed.
“For the floating ones [traders], we have already registered them. I sent a team and the team captured them whilst they were working, and we also used drones. we also have pictorial evidence,” Mr. Assibey Antwi added.
Three arrested for extortion
On Friday, November 3, three persons were arrested and handed over to the Suame District Police Command for alleged extortion.
The three were allegedly extorting monies from traders who were to be relocated today [Monday].
The two men and a woman were among 10 persons registering affected traders in the relocation exercise.
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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana