A.M.A To Go To Court

Public Relations Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Numo Blafo has revealed on Xfm's �Beefs On The Bite� that plans are far advanced to start compelling hawkers and other recalcitrant traders who ply their trade at unauthorized places in the capital to the designated trading centre, 'The Pedestrian Shopping Mall' located at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra. The Pedestrian Shopping Mall was constructed by the Kufuor administration to serve as a one stop shop for both buyers and sellers, but from Kufuor�s administration through to the current Mills� led administration, recalcitrant hawkers have been reluctant to occupy the sheds at the mall, leaving the place largely unoccupied resulting in the place turning into a den for societal miscreants. In an interview on Xfm, some traders at the mall echoed bitterly the challenges they are now facing after heeding to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly�s directive for them (traders) to leave the streets for the mall; paramount among them is the low patronage as a result of buyers patronizing the wares of hawkers on the street. They are therefore calling on the AMA to intervene in their plight. Responding to the traders� concerns, Numo Blafo bemoaned the hawkers� reluctance, saying, the AMA will be left with no other alternative than to seek a court order to compel the traders to leave the streets after several fruitless attempts. He said, "when we see people continuing to defy our orders, we will be left with no choice than to resort to the law courts to make sure people abide by the rules". Whiles still on the issue of the traders, Numo drew parallels to drivers who have designated lorry parks where they conduct their business but wondered why some hawkers will want to ply their trade on the streets when there are empty stalls and spaces. On the issue of armed robbers and thieves making life difficult for traders at the 'The Pedestrian Shopping Mall', Numo Blafo indicated that the reluctance of the traders to occupy the mall has created conditions whereby the mall has become almost desolate, serving as a safe haven for societal miscreants to carry out their nefarious activities.