A Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Maxwell Kofi Jumah has announced that his ministry is proposing a new district for Ashaiman. He said the new district would be carved out of the Tema Municipal area. Mr. Jumah, also known as Kofi Ghana was addressing petty traders at Ashaiman when he indicated that Ashaiman, because of its size, deserved to be a district to enhance development in the area. According to the Deputy Minister, the problem currently facing the area in terms of development was the insufficient funds that the area receives. He noted that when Ashaiman is made a district, it could source the District Assemblies Common Fund to embark on development projects that could give the area a facelift. Mr. Jumah was in Ashaiman to address the impasse between the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) and the Ashaiman petty traders who are doing business along the Ashaiman market road. He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is a listening one and hoped that when the ministry tables the issue of creating a new district for the area before government, it would consider it. Later, he in an interview, he said that the population of Ashaiman, which is more than 200,000, over qualifies the area for a district, adding, "It could be a metropolitan assembly even". Mr. Jumah assured the traders that after a management meeting with TMA at Tema, the problem would be resolved, and advised them not to go back to sell on the main road. He further urged the traders to nominate leaders that could articulate their problems during the meeting, and appealed to them to work extra hard to accrue more income for themselves. On his part, the TMA Chief Executive, Mr. David Annan reminded the traders that doing business on the road was against the laws of this country since the roads were constructed for vehicular use. He admitted that the assembly was aware that the current market at Ashaiman could no longer contain them and stressed that it was working around the clock to get a spacious place for them to do their business. The management of TMA and petty traders at Ashaiman are in a battle over the selling of wares along and on the Ashaiman market road. At the time the Deputy Minister, who was accompanied by the TMA boss, arrived at the Ashaiman market, the traders, clad in red attire had blocked the markek road, making it difficult for the Minister and his entourage to get to the Presby School where the meeting was to come on. Source: Daily Guide