The aggrieved traders, who say relocating them to the new structures before the festive season will affect their sales, have appealed to the Assembly allow them to trade their goods before the Christmas, so that they relocate back to their old place of trade in January 2018.

But the New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Comfort Asante, has reiterated her resolve to ensure sanity prevails within every street and corner of the municipality.

A decongestion and relocation exercise which was started by the Assembly in October to clear the principal streets of hawkers and traders on pavements, has been greeted with series of uprising and agitations by the traders.

The protests by the Second Hand Clothing Association came in less than a week after some traders assaulted the assembly task-force, and later demonstrated against the Assembly’s plans to relocate them to the Agartha market.

The Chairman of the Association, Thomas Yeboah, who spoke to the media appealed for an extension of the relocation.

“It is almost Christmas and our customers and clients will be coming to buy from us, moving us to the new place will create a lot of inconveniences for us.”

“We are not against the relocation, but we are pleading with the MCE to allow us to trade here up to first January 2018, so that we move back to their original selling place because the interest on loans we took from various banks to do business is very huge which we need to sell out fast to pay off the loans so moving us this time will really affect our sales.”

Madam Comfort Asante, however pleaded with the traders to go occupy the newly constructed shed constructed for them.

“The sheds were constructed purposely because of the Second Hand Clothing Association, a lot of time, resources and energy has gone in for it to be constructed by the contractor, and therefore they should relocate to the place immediately.”

Comfort Asante further explained that, the decision to move them to the new market is to prevent any accident.

“They sell close by the main road, cars and other vehicles including the big metro mass buses ply that particular stretch which is not safe for them. We don’t want to use monies and other budgeted allocations on things we can avoid so I am admonishing them to go back to the new shed because that is where they were before we reconstructed the place.”

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post New Juaben: Used-clothing sellers protest relocation exercise appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Confusion broke out between the Municipal Assembly task-force and some petty traders at the Agartha Market, after the traders resisted officials of the Municipal Assembly who had gone there on a routine de-congestion exercise

Mr. Nkrumah, who is the leader of the New Juaben Municipal Assembly task-force, accused some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and some members of the assembly of inciting the traders against the task-force when he spoke to Citi News.

“The problem we are facing is that, when we informed the traders to move from the pavements, our own people within the assembly went to tell them to return and trade there. Some assembly members who say they are NPP faithful are part of those individuals causing these problems. I know them and we are aware of what they are doing to prevent us from cleaning the mess on our streets and in the region’s capital city,” he claimed.

“This [Thursday] morning, I just asked a woman to move back from the pavement where she had arranged her goods but unfortunately, she pounced on me and attacked me and bit my arm, other members of the task-force came to my rescue. I later reported the case to the Police and was issued with a medical form to the hospital where I was later treated and injected with tetanus.”

Mr. Nkrumah added that he will see to the immediate prosecution of the traders who attacked him.

“Those who attacked me and the other assembly members of the task-force will be prosecuted, I will make sure the law takes its course to serve as a deterrent to others who would want to prevent public officials from carrying out their mandate.”

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the area, Madame Comfort Asante, explained that the Assembly will not relent in its efforts to ensure sanity prevails in the regional capital.

“We have not locked or closed shops in the city. All we are saying is that, we won’t allow the traders to sell on pavements, it is not hygienic for the buyers and its not safe for the traders as well.”

“If you take a walk in town you will see the mess on our streets, these traders come as far as onto the streets where vehicles ply to arrange their goods and sell which is not safe for them. As an Assembly, we will not sit and wait for a disaster to occur before we take steps; and  that’s the reason we have taken measures to revive the Agartha market to relocate them,” she told Citi News.

“We are asking them to go there and sell, there is a Police station very close to the market, their safety is assured and those who have not yet gotten a shed, should come to our office and we will assign them one.”

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Traders ‘assault’ New Juaben officials during decongestion exercise appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The over 4,000 residents who reside in the Adweso SSNIT flats are living in fear over the imminent collapse of a major bridge linking the low-cost housing to the SSNIT flats.

The bridge, which developed deep cracks six months ago, has further been eroded by floods from recent rains.

This situation has left forced them to resort to alternate roads which are also in deplorable conditions.

When Citi News visited the area, both sides of the bridge had been deeply eroded with a deep cut in the middle of the road leaving just a small portion for pedestrians to use.

It was evidently clear that most drivers have abandoned their stretch of road as no vehicle was seen on the once busy road as at the time Citi News visited the place.

Kwaku Atemo, a carpenter who has his shop 70 meters close to the bridge in an interview with Citi News disclosed how car owners and residents have abandoned the route.

“This place used to be very busy all the time because it links low-cost to SSNIT but because of the state of the bridge most residents for the fear of their lives do not come through this place again. This big hole you are seeing now started very small but now look at how deep it has become, the assembly man has been several times but nothing has been done about it.”

Atiemo added that “you know this place is very close to the main junction and residents who plied this route normally come around to buy furniture, beds and other wardrobes I have displayed here, some also brings me orders for kitchen cabinets and others but they no longer come around because of the state of the bridge.”

Bernard Nii Okai, an angry resident questioned why they must pay taxes saying, “my wife and kids are here and sometimes I have to pack my car here and walk on foot to cross to the other side to see my family because am scared the bridge will cave in when I use it. I am a bit fortunate because the house is about 200 meters from the bridge so I don’t walk far but my worry is that there are a number of schools up there in the flats and a hundred of school kids trek to school using this particular road. In this country we want the worse to happen before we act, I sometimes ask myself why we even pay tax in this country.”

This situation is not peculiar to only Adweso SSNIT residents but other areas in the New Juaben Municipality also have similar difficult as a bridge at Apenkwa Koforidua poly has also caved in and several roads in the municipality are all in deplorable conditions.

Meanwhile, schools in the area are all on vacation and until the bridge is reconstructed the lives of over thousands of residents and school kids who use the Low-cost Ssnit bridge close to the Assemblies of God Church will be in danger. Areas like Mangazime, Abogri, Two Streams, Simpoa Miensa, Nyamekrom, Kasadjan, Pipeline, Ada, Poly Apenkwa are all in deplorable states.
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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Adweso-SSNIT residents lament gov’t neglect appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The six were on February 11 arrested by the Effiduase Police Command for robbing some residents of their laptops and flat screen televisions.

At a media briefing held at the regional police headquarters in Koforidua, Acp Alhaji Nuhu Jango the Eastern Regional Deputy Police Commander said “the police command has identified some criminal hideouts and notorious drinking and narcotics drug smoking spot called “Evelyn Spot” a popular joint in the municipality and on February 11th 2017, at 12:05 am the regional patrol team led by ASP George Mills proceeded to the Evelyn Spot where eight (8) young men were spotted smoking substances suspected to be marijuana, the 8 sensing danger took to their heels but the police managed to arrest three suspects Emmanuel Amoah aged 23, Twumasi Samuel 30 and Kwasi Sokpo 25 were found with pair of scissors concealed in their pockets which was intended to be used to rob unsuspecting victims of their mobile phones and other valuables.”

He added “on the same date at about 10am the Effiduase Police District Command received a report to the effect that a house located at Asokorekuma has been attacked by three masked armed men who made away with four (4) HP laptops valued at GHC 1,500.00 each, 1 Motorola mobile phone valued at GHC 300.00, 1 CCIT mobile phone valued at GHC 400.00, 1 Motorola S mobile phone also valued at GHC 600.00, a Multi-TV decoder valued at GHC 200.00, one 42 inches LG plasma television valued at GHC 2,500.00 and cash sum of GHC 500.00.”

“Police upon receiving the information hurriedly started investigations where intelligence gathered left to the arrest of suspects Daniel Bekoe 29, a computer technician at Pentuawala a suburb of Koforidua. A search conducted in his shop revealed 2 HP laptops that were robbed from the houses together with seven other laptops all suspected to have been stolen, during interrogations, suspect Daniel Bekoe mentioned suspect Divine Modzaka aged 27 as the person who brought the two laptops for decoding of the password. The command proceeded and arrested Divine Modzaka at his phone shop also at Pentuawala and retrieved one Motorola mobile phone which was robbed from the scene at his shop, he corporated with the police and mention one suspect Richard Obeng aged 20, now at large as the one who brought the laptops to him to be decoded.”

The Deputy commander has advised the public to help the police with information on Richard Obeng 20 years old taxi driver in charge of an Opel Caravan with registration number no GT 4869-V who is now at large.

ACP Nuhu Jango added that the regional command is reintroducing foot patrols and will intensify day and night patrols to help curb criminal activities in the Region

He also advised the general public to be security conscious and report any strangers they suspect or see loitering in their neighbourhood to the police, he said “armed robbers like operating in the dark so we should always switch on lights in an around our homes and also do not try to argue with robbers when they enter your house, give out what ever they ask so that the spare your lives but try and picture them well and get something you can identify on them, also prompt and report strange looking person you see in your neighbourhood to the police.”

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post New Juaben: Six arrested for robbery appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Members of the two parties clashed during separate health walks organized by the two parties in the New Juaben North constituency.

It is unclear what triggered the clashes; but several properties were destroyed in the process, with some ten persons left with injuries.

This comes on the back of a similar clash that occurred in front of  the Nima residence of Nana Akufo-Addo, the NPP flagbearer.

Speaking to Citi News, the Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nketiah Yeboah, said the injured have been discharged, but the culprits are still on the run.

“The ten people who were wounded have been treated and discharged from the St. Joseph hospital. The owners of the two vehicles, the Hyundai saloon cars that were smashed have also been impressed upon to lodge official complaints against the perpetrators of the crime.”

He noted that police personnel were dispatched to the area after the incident to forestall any reprisal attacks.

“The whole of yesterday [Sunday], patrol teams were all over Asokore, Oyoko and Effiduase so that nobody would have the opportunity to take the law into their own hands. In Koforidua especially in Oyoko, Effiduase, Asokore, everyone is known. Even those of us not from here, but have been working here for some time now can also be identified. So the perpetrators should be identified and the Police should be informed about it.”

Meanwhile the Police are expected to meet the leadership of the two parties in the constituency later on Monday for investigations.

Supporters of the two parties ahead of the December 7 polls, have been involved in similar clashes in Wulensi, Odododiodoo, Ajumako among other places.

But in all such instances, the Police have been unable to make perpetrators face the law for their actions.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post New Juaben NDC-NPP clashes: Police hunt for culprits appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.