Barely a month after the new Mayor of Accra, Nii Adjei Sowah, declared a vigorous fight against hawkers on pedestrian walkways across the city, checks by Citi News‘ reveals a rather worsening situation.
Pedestrian walkways at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange in the heart of the city, have been taken over by hawkers turning the relatively congested walkway into what could be comparable to a busy market day in the Central Business District.
Motor riders who operate the illegal ‘okada’ business, made nonsense of the by-laws of the AMA, while pickpockets had a field day.
Umbrellas are erected at every available space on the walkway, providing shed for brisk business. All manner of wares, second hand panties and braziers, shoes, mobile phones, herbal medicine, fruits and confectionary are up for sale. The situation compels pedestrians to struggle their way through the thick crowd of disorder.
It is so prevalent that Citi News spotted a man in a wheel chair selling mobile phone accessories.
Food joints are cashing in on travelers providing dishes of questionable hygienic conditions.
In the midst of all the chaos, heaps and spillages of refuse are seen all over the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange.
The police look on as commercial drivers especially, break traffic codes, parking at unauthorized spots, and sometimes jumping red lights. Traffic wardens are neatly uniformed standing at post, while some pedestrians walk on lawns and others run across the road in defiance of speeding on-coming vehicles.
Mentally derailed persons who could inflict harm on pedestrians with or without provocation registered their presence. Like every other day, beggars of all age groups pursue pedestrians for alms. Loud speakers blast unbearable decibels sound from preachers and music pirates.
With the onset of the rains, one cannot be sure city authorities are up to the task of safeguarding lives and properties as a promise as basic as keeping hawkers off the streets remains broken.
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By: Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana