AMA to renovate major markets, Thursday, September 2, 2010, pg 29
THE Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is partnering the Social Investment Fund (SIF) to finance the renovation of some major markets in the city.
The SIF Project's overall objective is to improve basic social and economic infrastructure and services, largely by supporting projects that improve water and sanitation, health, economic infrastructure, education, and social services for the poor in relatively disadvantaged communities.
The project is to ensure that trading activities in the markets do not compromise the health and safety of residents of the city.
The renovation exercise will ensure that some of the city’s filth-engulfed and poorly planned markets have well-laid concrete floors, good drainage systems , security lighting systems and more stalls or shelter to help move traders into the market and prevent trading activities on the streets of Accra.
The Mayor of Accra, Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuye, made this known when he led a team of officials of the AMA and the Greater Accra Market Women Association to inspect some of the markets and some projects the assembly was executing in the city.
Although, Mr Vanderpuye could not immediately give the exact period the rehabilitation exercise would commence, he said “within the next few months we will be begin to see major renovations. What we have seen today will inform us to make the right decision as we move ahead.”
The mayor called for support from the private sector to partner the AMA to raise more funds to successfully accomplish the task.
He said sanitation situation in the various markets was regrettable as it endangered the health of residents.
“We do not have to compromise the safety of the food we eat. The markets are places where we all buy our food stuffs. We have to make sure that we do not compromise the health of the people,” he noted.
He stated that to improve the insanitary conditions in the markets, the AMA would introduce a system where the refuse collection companies would register all traders in the markets in order to reverse the trend.
The delegation’s first port of call was the PWD Market which is one of the most poorly planned markets in the city with leaky roofs.
At the London Market at James Town, even though there seemed to be trading activities, the place had been turned into a place of abode with mosquito nets and mattresses on display. The story was not different at the Salaga Market which appeared deserted with encroachers taking over the market stalls.
The AMA Market at Maamobi, also had a similar tale , a big portion of the land had been encroached upon with most of the structures converted into places of abode and with little sign of trading activities.
At the Tuesday market at Korle Gonno which comes alive on only Tuesday, a handful of traders were selling their wares, while a few others lined-up at the entrance of the market plying their wares.
Here, the AMA Boss directed that those outside the market be moved in saying there were plans to make the market an ‘all week’ market which would require the places they were occupying to be made an off-loading bay.
At the Malam Atta market at Accra New Town, the traders appealed for sheds and a car park. The AMA chief executive urged the leadership of the traders association in the market to take steps to ensure that cars do not move round in the market as the practice compromises the safety of the traders and their customers.
The tour was not without drama, at the Chemuna Project site, a storm drain construction site, a resident of the area got furious that the AMA boss ordered the immediate removal of all structures close to the drain.
The resident, who claimed ownership to the parcel of land lying less than 50 metres from the drain, said
he had document to prove it.
“Let me ask you does the government own lands here? You cannot come and start claiming ownership of lands here,” he told the mayor.
At Korle Gonno, a group of construction workers working on an unathourised structure were also stopped and their tools seized.
Mr Vanderpuye also ordered the relocation of an AMA sanctioned toilet facility which was being built at Awudome.
He said even though the project was one of the 43 public toilets the AMA was putting up throughout the city, the location of the facility was wrong because it was in a residential area and all the houses in the vicinity had their own toilets.
At all the markets visited, the complaint of the women was that they had witnessed similar inspections in the past which yielded no results and therefore, appealed to the mayor to make their dreams come true.
The tour also took the delegation to the Nima, La, Osu and Makola markets.
The SIF Project's overall objective is to improve basic social and economic infrastructure and services, largely by supporting projects that improve water and sanitation, health, economic infrastructure, education, and social services for the poor in relatively disadvantaged communities.
The project is to ensure that trading activities in the markets do not compromise the health and safety of residents of the city.
The renovation exercise will ensure that some of the city’s filth-engulfed and poorly planned markets have well-laid concrete floors, good drainage systems , security lighting systems and more stalls or shelter to help move traders into the market and prevent trading activities on the streets of Accra.
The Mayor of Accra, Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuye, made this known when he led a team of officials of the AMA and the Greater Accra Market Women Association to inspect some of the markets and some projects the assembly was executing in the city.
Although, Mr Vanderpuye could not immediately give the exact period the rehabilitation exercise would commence, he said “within the next few months we will be begin to see major renovations. What we have seen today will inform us to make the right decision as we move ahead.”
The mayor called for support from the private sector to partner the AMA to raise more funds to successfully accomplish the task.
He said sanitation situation in the various markets was regrettable as it endangered the health of residents.
“We do not have to compromise the safety of the food we eat. The markets are places where we all buy our food stuffs. We have to make sure that we do not compromise the health of the people,” he noted.
He stated that to improve the insanitary conditions in the markets, the AMA would introduce a system where the refuse collection companies would register all traders in the markets in order to reverse the trend.
The delegation’s first port of call was the PWD Market which is one of the most poorly planned markets in the city with leaky roofs.
At the London Market at James Town, even though there seemed to be trading activities, the place had been turned into a place of abode with mosquito nets and mattresses on display. The story was not different at the Salaga Market which appeared deserted with encroachers taking over the market stalls.
The AMA Market at Maamobi, also had a similar tale , a big portion of the land had been encroached upon with most of the structures converted into places of abode and with little sign of trading activities.
At the Tuesday market at Korle Gonno which comes alive on only Tuesday, a handful of traders were selling their wares, while a few others lined-up at the entrance of the market plying their wares.
Here, the AMA Boss directed that those outside the market be moved in saying there were plans to make the market an ‘all week’ market which would require the places they were occupying to be made an off-loading bay.
At the Malam Atta market at Accra New Town, the traders appealed for sheds and a car park. The AMA chief executive urged the leadership of the traders association in the market to take steps to ensure that cars do not move round in the market as the practice compromises the safety of the traders and their customers.
The tour was not without drama, at the Chemuna Project site, a storm drain construction site, a resident of the area got furious that the AMA boss ordered the immediate removal of all structures close to the drain.
The resident, who claimed ownership to the parcel of land lying less than 50 metres from the drain, said
he had document to prove it.
“Let me ask you does the government own lands here? You cannot come and start claiming ownership of lands here,” he told the mayor.
At Korle Gonno, a group of construction workers working on an unathourised structure were also stopped and their tools seized.
Mr Vanderpuye also ordered the relocation of an AMA sanctioned toilet facility which was being built at Awudome.
He said even though the project was one of the 43 public toilets the AMA was putting up throughout the city, the location of the facility was wrong because it was in a residential area and all the houses in the vicinity had their own toilets.
At all the markets visited, the complaint of the women was that they had witnessed similar inspections in the past which yielded no results and therefore, appealed to the mayor to make their dreams come true.
The tour also took the delegation to the Nima, La, Osu and Makola markets.
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