Some traders at Kwame Nkrumah Circle on Tuesday clashed with members of the “Operation Clean Your frontage “team over a planned demolition exercise at the Circle Royal VVIP station.
The angry traders, led by the Assemblyman for the area (Kokomemle West), who doubles as the Greater Accra Regional Youth Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Moses Abor, termed the demolition as “unlawful” adding that the action was influenced by a Chinese businessman who has been battling them for a piece of land for a very long time now.
According to one of the angry traders who was branded in the ‘Operation Clean Your Frontage” T-shirt, they were not informed about the demolition, so, they came in numbers to support the minister but it turned out that their structures were the target.
The assembly member together with some other traders climbed the bucket of the excavator to prevent the driver from crushing the structures, with others throwing stones and objects from afar to register their displeasure.
The windscreen of the excavator was slightly damaged after an angry trader threw a stone at it.
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The police fired some warning shots but that couldn’t deter the angry traders, prompting a reinforcement after which the structures were demolished.
The structures, according to Greater Accra Youth Organizer were not illegal and that proper consultation needed to be done before the exercise.
He also believes that the demolition is the work of the local Assembly and not the minister.
Meanwhile, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey has debunked the claims that the traders were not consulted.
He explained that there has been proper consultation with their leaders as several attempts to demolish the structures failed.
The “Operation Clean Your Frontage”, which is a policy by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council under the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, seeks to make it obligatory for all individuals and corporate entities to be responsible for the cleaning and greening of their immediate surroundings.
It forms part of the ‘Let’s make Accra work’ plan.
The operation started today with a public sensitization which was widely patronized by citizens.
At the Kaneshie Market, traders praised the minister for the initiative and encouraged him to continue his good works.
The situation was interesting at Tudu, where some tomatoes sellers came to hug the minister and prayed for him.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, said, the exercise was a success and it is not going to be a nine-day wonder.
The Mayor of Accra, Elizabeth Naa Sackey, warned everyone in the metropolis to adhere to protocols.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Madugu Ebenezer
