AMA demolishes part of Kantamanto market; traders fume

Traders at Kantamanto railways are angry at the Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije for forcefully ejecting them ahead of World Summit of Mayors in June this year.

About six shops were demolished and traders fear the exercise may have just begun. Some of the shop owners were second-hand clothes dealers, dealers in hair extensions and vendors dealing in CDs. A lotto kiosk was also demolished.

The traders say the AMA boss was at Kantamanto to warn them to leave because he needs to keep the city clean as over 300 of his colleagues across Africa will be attending a summit in Accra soon.

Oko Vanderpuije has recently been crowned Africa's best Mayor.

But the traders tell Adom News’s Asiedua Akuffo that the demolition and ejection will cut their source of livelihood.

“We have migrated from other parts of the country to better our lives in Accra and this will definitely make our lives and that of our families worse,” one echoed the concerns of the group.

They vowed to return to the streets saying a life of prostitution or stealing is not an option.

They are urging Accra Metropolitan Assembly (A.M.A) to attach some human face to the exercise.

“We want A.M.A and the government to see how best they can help us out of this situation”, the traders pleaded.

However, Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije disagrees with the claims of the traders.

He said the demolition has nothing to do with the upcoming summit next month.

Story by Ghana/Adom News/Kwame Yankah