The newly appointed Metropolitan Chief Executive for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, has indicated that when approved, his tenure as the AMA boss will not see his outfit resort to the use of ‘crude tactics’ to deal with hawkers.
The previous AMA boss, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, was noted for his forceful approach to dealing with hawkers and other activities such as “okada” operations, and traffic offenses.
[contextly_sidebar id=”jEgLy925wYzXpvnssq8tk0caWJYQLRKP”]Mr. Vanderpuije even effected some arrests himself most recently, lining some “okada” operators on their knees ahead of the opening of the Kwame Nkrumah interchange.
But speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Adjei Sowah said the AMA under his leadership, will opt for a more dialogue-oriented approach in dealing with street hawkers.
“Over the years, we have used crude and tough tactics to remove hawkers from the street. It has not been effective. It has not been working. I think that there is the need to engage every trader… I am not going to employ the use of crude tactics by caning people.”
“We should be thinking of alternative ways of engaging the traders so that we also understand and appreciate the fact that being on the street is not the best way,” he said.
Among other things, Mr. Adjei Sowah also said the AMA will look into recycling waste elevating it from mere waste to a source of power and money.
“You should be aware that in city waste management, waste is no more considered as just waste, but as by-product for something else, so we will see how to re-use our waste so that the waste becomes a source of either power or cash for us,” he noted.
Other MCE nominees
The other Metropolitan Chief Executives include Iddrisu Musah for the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, Anthony K.K Sam, a former Western Regional Secretary of the NPP for Sekondi/Takoradi, and Osei Assibey Antwi for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana