Hawkers Cash In On Mills' Death

Street hawking causes vehicular traffic on most roads in the Accra Metropolis and with the death of President Mills more people are trooping to the streets to sell paraphernalia.

Hawkers, despite the dangers they face, are taking advantage of the situation to sell National Democratic Congress (NDC) stuff and other materials including bands and flags.

These hawkers often cause congestion on most roads especially around the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, the 37 Military Hospital Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Accra Central and Kaneshie.

In an interview with CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE , Kwame Owusu, a hawker, who sells around Tetteh Quarshie, explained that before the death of President Mills, he was selling story books for children.

According to him, he changed his line of business immediately the former President Mills was reported dead.

'I now sell books authored in memory of the ex-President. My new line of business is moving very fast due to the fact that most Ghanaians want to read about the works of President Mills and what he stood for.'

He stressed that many of his colleagues, who were selling, chewing gum, plantain cheeps, fruits, drinks, biscuits, toiletries, bread among other things have all changed to red bands, among others.

'Business has slowed down a little bit but we believe it will pick up in the coming days after the burial of the former President,' he noted.

Michael Addo, another hawker, also said he was currently selling polo T-shirts because he wanted to save enough money for his tertiary education. The polo shirt comes in red and black colours with an inscription 'A Great Oak has fallen'.

Business, he noted, had been booming since he started the sale of polo T shirts with the portrait of the former President.

Numo Blafo, Public Relations Officer of Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), disclosed that even though hawkers were making money on the streets, hawking was still illegal in the country.

By Lady Agyapong