A law lecturer at the Ghana School of Law has expressed shock over the unannounced destruction of structures at the streets of the Central Business District (CBD) of Accra. Abdul Basit told Joy News the destruction is inconsistent with messages sent out by government officials. The Mayor of Accra, Alfred Vanderpuije on assumption of office, gave a two week ultimatum for hawkers to leave the pavements, hinting all illegal structures at the CBD would be pulled down and the city decongested. But the Mayor opted to withhold the decongestion exercise, saying the hawkers would be educated until they find it necessary to leave the pavements. However the hawkers woke up on Monday morning to find their structures destroyed by workers of the AMA, in the full glare of the police. This Abdul Basit said was not acceptable. Even though he did not challenge the authority of the AMA in decongesting the city, he argued undertaking such an exercise without notice to the affected persons is to say the least unfortunate. He advocated for a more comprehensive plan that will end the perennial mess in the city. But the Mayor of Accra in an interview with Evans Mensah noted the AMA was merely “enforcing its own by-laws.” He said the AMA was under no obligation to inform illegal traders to vacate the streets, adding their presence was not only an inconvenience to law abiding citizens, but a threat to their (hawkers) own lives. He wondered why they would still flood the streets and leave the 32 markets in Accra half empty. Asked if the AMA had abandoned the education approach to driving away the hawkers, Mr. Vanderpuije insisted “education is still the key but in the middle of the education we have to do what we have to do.” He dismissed assertions that the exercise was unsustainable and would crumble to political pressures, adding his commitment to the exercise will see him through. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com