Koforidua- Mr Seth Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister, has appealed for support to ensure a successful decongestion of the Central Business District of the regional capital, Koforidua, which covers both New Juaben North and South municipalities.
He said the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the Regional Security Committee (RESEC) were actively involved in this year’s exercise to promote total hygiene in the capital city.
“This year’s exercise would not be as usual,” he said and called for maximum cooperation and involvement of all and sundry to carry out the exercise without a hitch.
The Minister described the current situation of Koforidua as undeserving of regional capital and condemned indiscriminate siting of structures on “ceremonial roads” such as from Okorase through Oyoko.
Mr Acheampong told journalists that extensive consultations and arrangements had been made to ensure traders who would be removed from unauthorized places did not lose their livelihoods.
“This time around, we have looked at the factors which militate against clearing traders from the roadside, and key among them is where to relocate them, the conduciveness of the place, enforcement of the rules without fear or favour and involving all stakeholders including political parties across the divides,” he noted.
He said satellite markets – Agatha, Zongo, Beads and Community markets, have been identified and well prepared to provide trading points for traders and hawkers to be cleared from illegal places which would begin from the last day of February.
He said the exercise would be replicated in all the 33 municipalities and districts in the region later, and urged those who have structures at unauthorized places to start removing them.
He appealed to the media to help educate the public without politicizing the exercise so that, “with one purpose, we can achieve the goal of a clean environment.”
Decongestion exercises have become an annual ritual in Koforidua as the assemblies every year clear the roads and other unauthorized places of hawkers and traders, yet these traders would still return.
Source: Ghana News Agency