The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey has assured traders at Madina in the La-NkwantanangMadina Municipality that works on a modern Bohye market will commence by end of this year.
He stated that the facility, when completed, would ensure the traders undertake their activities in safe, secured and hygienic environment.
Currently, the traders, who were moved from the pavement of Madina-Zongo Junction road, have erected temporal structures on the 22-acre land designated for the market, to carry-out their activities.
The Regional Minister was speaking yesterday when he visited and interacted with the traders on the state of their businesses since relocating to the site about seven months ago.
MrQuartey expressed satisfaction that the traders adhered to directives to stay off the pavement and rather engage in trading on the market site.
“I am happy that when we engaged you on moving to this land to carry out your trading activities, you listened and acted accordingly.
Trading along major roads like what we have here at Madina-Zongo junction exposed you, our mothers to lots of danger. It is our aim to develop a modern market for you so you can continue with your business safely,” he stated.
In the meantime, he noted that the Assembly had been tasked to work with the Coastal Development Authority to construct shelves for the traders.
MrQuartey was confident that the erection of shelves would be completed by Friday and tasked the Assembly to ensure all the traders were assigned a shelf for their business.
He cautioned the leadership of the market against charging any trader a fee for use of the facility and threatened to take on anyone who engaged in such illegality.
“This is all part of the agenda to Make Accra Work. We are providing enough space for you so you don’t return to carry out trading on the road pavement.
“I entreat the Queenmother to ensure that everyone is allowed a space to be able to carry out their business. The land is for the government and we don’t expect that anyone is charged a fee for using it,” the Regional Minister added.
As part of strategies to promote trading activities at the market, he said the Assembly was working with police to redirect tro-tro route to the market to make it easy for buyers to throng the market and find suitable vehicles to their destinations.
The Regional Minister further directed the Department of Urban Roads to immediately repair the bridge leading to the market to avert any unforeseen circumstances.
Describing the current state of the bridge as a death trap, he said, there was the need for urgent attention to avoid any fatal incident for road users.
ManyeOduwaSowah, Madina Bohye Market QueenMother, said the leadership was opened to welcoming all traders to the market and assured that no trader would be charged a fee for operating there.
She noted that the market women were aware that the land was for the government, for which reason no one would be allowed to sell any portion of it.
The land size, she said, was big enough to accommodate all traders and urged them to comply with the directive to avoid selling on road pavement.
“We’re opened to providing a space for everyone to trade. We encourage all traders to come to the market,” the QueenMother stated.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
