’Make Accra Work Again’ campaign not witch-hunt – Regional Minister

Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey has said the ‘Make Accra Work Again’ campaign is not a targeted initiative to displace a particular group of people.

He insists the campaign is necessary to curb indiscipline in the capital and achieve President Akufo-Addo’s goal of making the country’s capital the cleanest city in Africa.

“This Make Accra Work Campaign is not a witch hunt but an exercise to make Accra an enabling environment for all to do business,” he stated.

On his accord, the campaign is being undertaken with a human face and a series of warnings had been issued to traders and slum dwellers around these illegal markets and settlements but they went unheeded.

“We didn’t use the Rambo Style approach to move these people from the sidewalks and other unauthorised locations. We used the human element and repeatedly told persons who had settled around these areas, especially along railway lines to move but they didn’t. Because of the danger these people expose themselves to and the waste they make, we had to move them”, he stated.

The Minister who joined officials of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and some security personnel to demolish illegal structures along the Graphic Road in Accra on Tuesday, May 18, also evacuated persons who had encroached on lands between Farisco Junction and the Obetsebi Interchange.

This initiative, according to the Minister will ensure free flow of vehicular traffic and keep the vicinity clean.

Quartey further noted that owners of these structures were asked by the AMA to move as their structures were positioned at illegal points two weeks before the exercise but, they (owners) claimed such warnings always came but nothing happened. “I personally sent people to to speak to them and yet, they refused to move”, he told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning show.

He intimated that if such indiscipline was allowed to go on unchecked, persons will keep on building illegal structures and demand for compensation anytime government decided to demolish them.

The Minister also announced that Assemblies and other authorities will be engaged to end the springing up of these illegal structures. “The Assemblies will now monitor and ensure illegal structures are not erected at unapproved locations to avoid the formation of communities.”