The planned decongestion of the national capital, Accra, that was expected to begin Monday has been suspended following a directive from the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey. The Metropolitan Chief Executive for Accra, Mr Alfred Vanderpuije, announced the highly publicised decongestion two weeks ago with an ultima-tum to street hawkers in the affected areas to vacate for the exercise to begin Monday but the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) had to suspend the action following the minister’s order. A letter from the minister, signed by the Chief Director of the Regional Co-ordinating Council, Mr Fats Nartey, and addressed to the AMA boss stated, "It has come to the notice of the regional minister that you plan to carry out decongestion of the city of Accra some time this week. It is also reported that you have earmarked an amount of GH¢250,000 for the above purpose. I have been directed by the minister to request you to put an immediate hold on your plans for the decongestion." Assigning reasons for the suspension in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Ashietey said as the region¬al minister, he had not been consulted with regard to the exercise and how the assembly intended to carry it out and consequently sustain it. The exercise, he said, had financial, political social and economic implications which needed thorough planning to ensure its sustainability. Mr Ashietey said he was in total support of the exercise but felt that there was the need for a more detailed discussion of the modalities with relevant stakeholders before it could be carried, out. "This is not an exercise that should be rushed through," he added. The regional minister said even before Mr Vanderpuije was nominated and confirmed by assembly members at the AMA, he had asked officials of the assembly o draw up a programme towards a sustainable decongestion of the metropolis. This plan, he said, had been presented to him, along with a budget of GH¢250,000, adding that discussions had been held on the issue at a Regional Security Council meeting, during which members stated that the budget was too huge. "I, therefore, asked the AMA to review the figure downward and to date I do not know what is happening I do not even know whether the assembly is working with the previous plan or whether it has drawn up a new one,” he said. “As the regional minister, I have to take responsibility for any lapses that may occur during this exercise, and that is why I have stopped it for now,” he added. The exercise had been expected to be massive, with all the 11 sub-metros of the AMA actively involved in the clearing and demolition of illegal structures within their sub-metropolitan areas, but according to Mr Ashietey, those sub-metros were still in the process of being constituted. He said to sustain any form of decongestion in Accra, the sub-metropolitan areas had to be empowered, while the security agencies, as well as Members of Parliament had to be roped in. Source: Daily Graphic