Apart from the debt owed the service providers, the contractor in charge of the Assembly’s landfill site demands not less than Ghc 100,000.00 per month from the KMA to meet its monthly operation cost of about 1.4 million Ghana cedis.

Some of the providers have threatened to stop providing services to the Assembly, a situation that could worsen the sanitation problems in the Kumasi metropolis.

The Assembly is therefore seeking a bailout from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, as well as the Ministry of Finance to settle the debt.

The sanitation situation within the Kumasi metropolis is a source of worry to residents. Indiscriminate dumping of refuse has created choked drains in areas like Dr. Mensah, Kejetia, Alabar, Subin, the Central Business District and parts of the Kumasi central market.

Some residents who spoke to Citi News have expressed worry about the sanitation problems in the Kumasi metropolis.

Chief Executive for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Osei Assibey Antwi, upon assuming office pledged to make Kumasi a clean city.

Although the Assembly has initiated some programmes to achieve this dream, the debts owed waste management service providers could affect this target.

Speaking at a meeting with members of the Assembly, Mr. Assibey Antwi said the Assembly is seeking a bailout from the Finance Ministry.

“The Assembly’s judgment debt stock of Fifty million, six hundred thousand Ghana cedis, has thus been reduced by Forty-two million, eight hundred thousand Ghana cedis. The biggest challenge however, has been the Sixty-three Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢63,800,000.00) debt, owed the waste management service providers, especially J. Stanley Owusu who manages the Assembly’s landfill site,” he revealed.

He indicated that the situation calls for bailout from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, as well as the Ministry of Finance.

The Oti Landfill site is the destination of all waste generated within the Kumasi metropolis. Management of the facility recently threatened to withdraw their services to the KMA due to the debts that have piled up.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

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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

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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

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The officers were called in after the traders massed up at the Assembly’s premises and threatened to attack some workers.

According to the Assembly, the relocation task-force on Tuesday morning went to the Central Business District to evict traders selling on  pavements as part of its exercise to decongest the metropolis.

Some of the traders were arrested by police after pulling knives on the task-force members and resisting attempts to evict them from the pavements.

Their colleagues who were wielding sticks and other implements later in the evening besieged the offices of the KMA to protest the arrest.

The Assembly’s City Guards blocked the entrances of the KMA to prevent the irate youth from getting access to the main yard.

The development resulted in a vehicular jam along the KMA-Adum stretch as the atmosphere was charged.

Most of the irate traders absconded when police arrived at the scene. The police later chased them and managed to pick up eight persons including two females to the Central Police station.

Narrating the incident to Citi News, Public Relations Officer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Godwin Okumah Nyame, said “the police this morning arrested some traders to the Central Police station and they thought that those who were arrested were here. For that matter, they mobilized and came here.”

“The police who were also on alert quickly moved here and arrested those who came here. They came here with some sticks and then some offensive weapons just to attack our people” he added.

He disclosed that the relocation task-force as part of the exercise arrested ten drivers and put them before court for loading and dropping off passengers at unauthorized places.

He said four of them appeared in court and were charged, while a bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of six others who failed to appear before the court.

Mr. Nyame indicated that, the Assembly will deal with recalcitrant drivers and traders who fail to comply with the relocation exercise.

According to him, the Assembly has done enough sensitization on the exercise and was worried how some were not willing to comply.

The KMA has relocated traders and drivers from the CBD and Kejetia to the Racecourse terminal and other markets in the metropolis.

The exercise is to pave way for the completion of the Kejetia redevelopment project and also decongest the metropolis.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Assembly has also asked members of the various traders’ associations to desist from any intended plan to demonstrate and comply with its orders to ply their trade at the Race Course, Afia Kobi (Abinkyi) market or any of the available satellite markets.

[contextly_sidebar id=”S9ecmmj5ttfeh6yvExnsBtD6CGlcxzxN”]The Assembly has also warned that it will not tolerate any threat or act of lawlessness from any trader, and re-assured it will ensure the ongoing exercise to relocate traders and all transport operators is successful.

This comes after over 200 traders comprising members of the Kejetia petty traders, united petty traders and the Kejetia main pavement traders Associations, threatened to go back onto the streets to ply their trade if the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly fails to relocate transport operators to the Race Course terminal by the end of this month.

The traders have also threatened to demonstrate against the Assembly and attributed their low sales to the Assembly’s failure to relocate the transport operators to the terminal.

The Assembly recently relocated traders to Racecourse temporarily to pave way for the completion of the Kejetia Redevelopment Project.

The exercise also aims at decongesting the Central Business District.

Speaking to Citi News, Public Relations Officer of the KMA, Godwin Okumah Nyame, said the Assembly has taken note of the concerns raised by the traders, and said the process of relocation is still ongoing.

“It is rather to limit the drivers permitted to enter the Central Business District as a control measure to reduce congestion. This interim arrangement was agreed upon by the KMA and the Transport Operators, in order to bring some relief to commuters who patronize the intra-city transport system”, he indicated.

He added that, apart from the intracity transport arrangement, the various terminals for cars headed for the Central, Brong Ahafo, Northern regions, and even areas in Ashanti, are still operating at the Race Course where the traders are supposed to transact their businesses.

He called on the traders to cooperate with the Assembly to make the ongoing exercise a successful one.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The traders, who occupy streets and pavements have vowed not to leave those places unless the Assembly provides them with better alternatives to ply their trade.

The Assembly recently relocated traders to Racecourse temporarily, to pave way for the completion of the Kejetia Redevelopment Project.

Most traders have defied the orders of the Assembly, and are still trading on pavements and other unauthorized places.

A barricade erected at the Kejetia redevelopment project site has taken over major portions of the streets.

The space left for pedestrians’ use, has also been occupied by the petty traders, a situation that has resulted in congestion and overcrowding in the area.

Some of the pedestrians who spoke to Citi News are worried over the daily struggles they go through in moving around the area.

“People are also selling here. So as a matter of fact, it will create congestion between the traders and pedestrians. It is not easy using that way. So I blame it on those working and the traders”, a pedestrian lamented.

The traders have attributed their unwillingness to relocate to the inability of the KMA to secure spaces for them at the new market.

According to them, several attempts to find space at the Racecourse terminal have not been successful hence their decision to continue their trade on the pavements.

A trader who sells Ghana made Slippers said “When you go there they will tell you to group yourselves and come back. We are here as individuals and we cannot be in groups. We will still stand here, we are not moving unless they arrest us. We voted for NPP, so when they want to sack us, 2020 will come and we will show Nana. Anytime they come to power, they will come and sack us. So what job do they want us to do?”

The Kumasi Traditional Council is backing the KMA to decongest the city to ensure order around the Central Business District.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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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

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Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Osei Assibey Antwi, directed that the building be pulled down after it was declared a danger zone by officials of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO).

Officers from the Ghana National Fire Service, NADMO, as well as the Police, responded to a distress call from traders who were in the collapsing structure on Wednesday Morning.

The area around the collapsing building was cordoned off as hundreds watched the demolition from afar.

There was grief and despair from the owners of the building, who watched soberly as an excavator brought down their property.

Mr. Assibey Antwi also directed city engineers to conduct structural integrity tests of buildings within the metropolis to identify and demolish those that pose a threat.

“What they are going do are structural integrity tests so that is exactly what they will be doing and after that , they will submit their report to me… Based on the report, we will take a decision as to the next line of action,” he said.

“The first one was caving in from the front, but the second one was caving in from the back meaning the two were not solid and had to go. That is why they are going,” Mr. Assibey Antwi explained.

The KMA MCE said he expects concrete explanations for the cause of the cave in from the engineer’s report.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Service, has already commenced investigations into matter.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘Death-trap’ Kumasi storey-building, one other demolished appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Abraham Boadi is worried such developments could derail the development of the metropolis if it persists.

The Ridge-Nhyiaeso Assembly Member who spoke to Citi News after a meeting with members of the Kumasi Traditional Council (KTC) at the Manhyia Palace, called for an end to the practice where the hierarchy of the ruling party in the Ashanti region meddles in the programmes and projects being rolled out by the Assembly.

He said party members in the region must allow the Chief Executive to implement the decisions of the Assembly for the progress of the metropolis.

“So we are saying the party should allow the Chief Executive as an authority to implement the decisions of the Assembly. If we all accept and agree that is the city that we need to develop, we will be okay. Either than that when the party is saying stop this, don’t do that, if you do this it will affect us, and if we try to block him from all these things, then how are we going to be successful and develop the city?”

Mr. Boadi indicated that, it was high time the Kumasi Mayor gathered political will to implement the Assembly’s decisions, since such practices also affect development at the various sub-metros and electoral areas within the metropolis.

He revealed that the Assembly’s quest to decongest parts of the city and also stop the improper location of some container shops within the city has been met with stiff opposition by some members of the ruling party.

He appealed to the traditional leaders to help the Mayor implement key developmental decisions without the interference of members and supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the region.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Kumasi Mayor, Osei Assibey Antwi, giving an overview of the Metropolis at a town hall meeting at Tafo Sub Metro, said the Metropolitan Assembly will present the petition on Thursday.

This decision comes on the back of series of floods recorded in the Metropolis in the past few weeks.

Osei Assibey Antwi lamented that “now whenever it rains, the whole place gets flooded. It was not like that from the beginning, when I first saw Kumasi waterways were not blocked, but now, we the elites have built structures in waterways, this is what has brought the calamity. But you cannot cheat nature, you cannot divert a waterway and expect it to obey you. Last time when it rained, it took the intervention of Fire Service Personnel to rescue some people, it is very awful.”

He added that, “now, it has come to a point where we must take action, and so all structures that have been built in waterways have been earmarked for demolishing. I will come to the Kumasi Traditional Council on Thursday to plead with you (Nananom) that those structures will be  demolished, so that petition from people whose structures are built on waterways will be rejected for the betterment of Kumasi.”

About 400 households were reported to have been affected by floods following heavy rains in September.

According to the Kumasi Mayor, major bridges and gutters have been de-silted to prevent any further recurrence of floods.

“We have been able to de-silt major rivers in the Metropolis, the river at Dichemso has been de-silted, Adoato, Adumanu, Mohyie Zongo, Abinkyi and many other areas.”

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By : Loretta Timah/citifmonline.com

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