Accra Mayor Warns Kantamanto Traders

The Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije has warned residents of Katamanto not to raise illegal structures at the area gutted by fire. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Boss issued this caution to the residents during an interview with Radio Gold, while explaining the reasons which have informed the AMA�s decision to redesign the Katamanto market into an ultra-modern market. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije at a press conference on Monday said his office will take advantage of the unfortunate situation to modernize the Katamanto market. He said �the best out of this situation can never be anything short of the best in modernizing the market. As AMA we have plans to develop all of our markets and if this situation has happened we will quickly start rebuilding proper market.� Also, speaking in an interview with Radio Gold, he stated that �the overall good that should come out of this is the need for us to take advantage of an unfortunate situation to bring about modernization. And the time has come; it�s far long overdue for us to put our market into the modern status that it needs to be and that I can say that, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly is taking full responsibility to bring modernization around these two disaster activities.� He added that the AMA will take the necessary steps to stop the residents from rebuilding structures at the locality. To him, the recent misfortune has aroused the need for markets across the city and the country at large to be modernized; something he believes will help transform the nation. He also noted that the AMA as part of its modernization responsibility will ensure that the Korle lagoon is dredged to make �water flow into the Korle and then to the ocean. That is modernization.� �We will not allow anybody to go into the Katamanto area and to start rebuilding illegal structures. We are going to take advantage of an unfortunate situation and quickly bring about modernization; build modern markets for our traders to have appropriate places to do their business�AMA will take full responsibility to ensure that we bring about modernization immediately.� he stressed. NADMO officials, according to him, have also been charged to provide relief items to the victims. He expressed his condolences to the victims in the Katamanto disaster, saying �our hearts go out to the individuals, the traders and all who were affected by the loss of their properties and goods. But when things like this happens, that is where we have to put our best foot forward and do what we have to do as leaders.�