The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) took hawkers on the streets and pavements of the Accra business area by surprise, when it decided to embark on its much-awaited decongestion exercise.
In the dead of the night last Sunday, when the hawkers were probably sleeping their heads off or enjoying themselves, the Assembly decided to go all-out and demolish their stalls.
The exercise began around 9:00 p.m. on Sunday night, and ended around 4:30 a.m. Monday morning.
The affected hawkers returned to their various places of trade on Monday, after their weekend, to their surprise to see their stalls demolished, since they were not given the slightest reason to believe such an action was going to take place.
The exercise, which was led by the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Alfred Oko Vanderpujie, started with the pulling down of illegal structures and tables on the pavements.
The exercise was carried out by the metro guards, with assistance from the Ghana Police Service, and without the presence of the Asafoitsemei of the Ga Traditional Council.
Accra File sources within the Metropolitan Assembly say the exercise began from the frontage of the Assembly's offices, and went onward to the Central Business District.
Illegal structures around the Makola branch of the Ghana National Fire Service, Rawlings Park, SSB Bank and the MTTU offices were cleared.
The source said the exercise, which should have been carried out 15th June, was withheld to give the hawkers the chance to stop trading in unauthorised places and move into their sheds, adding that Accra cannot afford to miss out on the world evolution of major cities.
He said the new administration was committed at ensuring that the bye-laws of the assembly are enforced, and city of Accra transformed.
A tour of the Central Business District (CBD) yesterday by the Accra File saw the hawkers standing idle in groups discussing the exercise. While others where wailing and counting their losses, others where raining insults on the rank and file of the assembly.
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