The La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly is set to embark on a massive decongestion exercise to rid the Madina Zongo junction of hawkers and to bring sanity to the area.

According to the Municipal Chief Executive, Jennifer Dede Adjabeng, the decongestion exercise has become necessary because some recalcitrant traders have refused to relocate to the new Bohye market created by the assembly. 

In early 2018 the Municipal Assembly took the decision to relocate the traders at Zongo junction to a new market in order to restore discipline, avoid unnecessary traffic jam and avoidable accidents on the road.

According to Mrs. Adjabeng, the move was part of the overall vision of President Addo Akufo-Addo to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa. She added that the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly is keen on helping the president achieve all his objectives. 

Mrs. Jennifer Dede Adjabeng hinted that a relocation plan was thoroughly discussed with the traders and opinion leaders in the municipality and all formalities to carry through the plans, were unanimously agreed by all the stakeholders.

The relocation was scheduled to take place in December 2018 but was temporarily halted because the traders asked for time to celebrate the Christmas since moving to a new market in a festive season could affect their sales. The assembly heeded to their plea and gave them a February 2019 deadline.

In January 2019 some of the traders willingly moved to the new market as scheduled but some recalcitrant ones are still on the streets defying all orders to relocate.

The MCE hinted that the assembly will embark on a decongestion exercise and no recalcitrant trader would be pampered in order to restore discipline to the municipality as has been the biggest challenge of the Chiefs and people.

The Madina constituency chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Eric Nartey Yeboah, who played an instrumental role in the relocation process, could not understand why some traders at the last hour and upon the peaceful discussions, refused to relocate.

The chairman, known in political circles as Chairman Dollar said, nothing would derail the good thought and hard work of the assembly and government in achieving the President’s vision.