The Government has given its full backing to local authorities to carry out decongestion exercises in a bid to give their areas a facelift. Local Government Minister Joseph Yileh Chireh says district and metropolitan assemblies have a responsibility to rid their cities and towns of hawkers and unauthorized stalls. “We fully support the idea of decongestion of our cities to make them friendly, in terms of use,” Mr Chireh said. Traders and squatters who have already been affected by the eviction exercises especially in Accra and Kumasi are complaining about the process. But the minister tells Joy News the government will not be persuaded to intervene because the exercises are for the national good. “People have called us to intervene in one way or the other and the presidency has resisted that temptation. This ministry doesn’t even think we have the democratic right to be overriding decisions that are arrived at the assembly meetings through resolutions or bye-laws,” he said. Mr. Yileh Chireh wants the Chief Justice to establish courts to deal with recalcitrant traders who obstruct the exercise. Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana