Several unauthorized structures along the streets of Central Business District of Accra were this morning pulled down by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, as part of moves to decongest the city. Traders, who own most of these temporary structures, seem to have been caught unaware, as they wail and complain about the ‘sudden’ exercise. Some affected traders who spoke to Joy news Monday morning said the decongestion came as a surprise and unexpected. Even though they said they were aware of the impending exercise; “we thought it will happen at the end of the year” a trader remarked, and wondered as bread winners, where would they get money to feed their families at this “difficult moment”. Joy News’ Sammy Darko who monitored the exercise captured the mood and situation as a “day of grief and mourning”. Some traders also took things personal with the president, John Atta Mills, for what they said was a failure on his part to fulfill his campaign promise of “putting money in peoples’ pockets”; and yet would sanction an action that would deprive them of their livelihood. Meanwhile security personnel have been deplored to the area to maintain peace and order. Hawkers were found loitering about and some in groups discussing the exercise. Even though the exercise might have come as good news to commuters and passersby at large, its sustainability is in doubt as similar ones conducted previously came to naught. Story by Isaac Essel