The personnel, comprising officers from the police, military, the Ghana National Fire Service, the Prisons and the Immigration Service are expected to augment the efforts of the group that is already overseeing the exercise.

The officers are expected to evict all petty traders and drivers from unauthorised places to the Racecourse terminal and other satellite markets within the metropolis.

The exercise, according to the Assembly, is aimed at decongesting the Central Business District and at paving the way for the completion of the redevelopment of the Kejetia bus terminal.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the KMA, Godwin Okumah Nyame told Citi News that the Assembly will be tough on recalcitrant traders and drivers.

“What informed this exercise was the observations have been made by the Ashanti Regional Security Council as far as the ongoing relocation exercise is concerned. So the Council, at its meeting last week, decided to help the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly by beefing up the number of personnel to enable us to intensify the relocation exercise so that those traders who still sell on the streets and pavements will move to Racecourse and other designated satellite markets that they are supposed to move to,” he said.

Mr. Okumah Nyame also added that the transport unions are also supposed to relocate.

“We were using persuasion but now we want to use some kind of minimal force,” he added.

Some residents who spoke to Citi News want the exercise sustained.

“The decongestion exercise is better because it makes movement very easy for us. We want them to continue although people are complaining,” one resident said

“It is a good exercise because it makes the place look nice. I think that by the time they will finish with the construction Kumasi will be a very pleasant place to visit,” another resident added.

Don’t pay for allocation of shops at new Kejetia market

KMA had earlier stated that it was not collecting money from traders to secure spaces for them after the Kejetia redevelopment project is completed.

The Assembly in a statement said it would deal ruthlessly with persons caught extorting monies from traders.

“The Assembly wishes to make it clear to the public that no person, group of persons or organization, has been authorized to collect money on behalf of the KMA for the purposes of allocating stores to traders at Kejetia. The assembly will soon commence the validation of all traders and shop owners who were registered at the Kejetia Lorry Terminal, prior to the commencement of the ongoing redevelopment project.”

“Any trader, organization or group of persons who will be found involved in the alleged extortion of money from traders will be ruthlessly dealt with by the law,” the KMA said.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Security beefed up Kumasi over relocation of traders appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Assembly in a statement said it would deal ruthlessly with persons caught extorting monies from traders.

[contextly_sidebar id=”n3t5ASMIgorDQB9jfjMaoihazrlsBjkb”]“The Assembly wishes to make it clear to the public that no person, group of persons or organization, has been authorized to collect money on behalf of the KMA for the purposes of allocating stores to traders at Kejetia.”

“The assembly will soon commence the validation of all traders and shop owners who were registered at the Kejetia Lorry Terminal, prior to the commencement of the ongoing redevelopment project.”

“Any trader, organization or group of persons who will be found involved in the alleged extortion of money from traders will be ruthlessly dealt with by the law,” the KMA said.

The KMA also warned that any trader who pays money to any person “does so at his or her own risk.”

In November 2017, the Assembly relocated traders and drivers in the Central Business District of Adum, Kejetia, Pampaso, S.A.T and Dr. Mensah to Race Course and Abinkyi markets.

The relocation exercise was 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.

Find below the full statement

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Don’t pay for allocation of shops at new Kejetia market – KMA warns appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Touring the $198million Phase One project Site, the Chairman of the Committee, Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, who was highly impressed, it was a “good project that is going to solve the problem of our mothers who are doing petty trading here.”

He thus called on government to “double its steps to ensure that the phase two and phase three of the project comes to life.”

The Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Osei Assibey Antwi explaining the urgency of the need for the commencement of the second and third Phases said “the second phase and first phase are intertwined, without the second phase; the first phase is not going to be marketable. We need the second phase to combine with the first phase to make it an economic entity that is going to be in the interest of the people and generate the money to help KMA and the central government.”

He added that controversies and challenges outlined by stakeholders on the first Phase will be addressed in the second phase of the project.

Transport Union Operators had earlier criticised the KMA for turning the Kejetia Bus Terminal into a shopping Arcade.

They raised concerns about the inability of drivers to load and offload goods in the space provided for them.

However, their fears were allayed when stakeholders met with them to reach a consensus on how to address the issue.

Meanwhile, the structures erected around the Phase One project site which has stalled the progress of the project are set to be demolished soon.

Ruling

The long-standing legal tussle between a private company, All-State Construction Limited and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly was finally resolved by the Kumasi Traditional Council on Friday, February 2.

The Kumasi Traditional Council ruled that the structures belonging to All-State Construction Limited be demolished to pave way for the completion of the first phase of the project.

Valuation of the structures for compensation procedures is currently underway.

The First phase of the project which was slated for completion in January 2018, is now set to be finished by April 2018.

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By: Loretta Timah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Fast-track Kejetia Central market project – Parliamentary committee appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.