Eric Nartey Yeboah
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairman for the Madina constituency, Eric Nartey Yeboah otherwise known as Dollar Chairman has vowed to lead a massive decongestion exercise at the Madina Zongo junction to rid of traders in the area.
His call comes after several attempts by the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly to relocate the traders to the Bohye market which was constructed by the Assembly.
Speaking to Piesie Okrah on Dwaboase on Power 97.9 FM on Wednesday, Mr Yeboah observed the decongestion exercise had become necessary because the Zongo junction was becoming too choked and was making vehicular movement on that part of the N4 highway difficult.
“Accidents have beome way many on the stretch because the traders have taken over the road. And we want Madina to be a beacon of all the constituencies in the country. We can achieve that because Madina was well structured,” Dollar Chairman noted and added the decongestion was part of President Akufo-Addo’s vision to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa.
“We can do it [the decongestion to bring sanity to the area] and I will lead the exercise because we have had series of meetings with the leadership of the traders on the matter. Although they feel reluctant to relocate, they have to move because I was part of the delegation that they approached to engage the Municipal Chief Executive, Jennifer Dede Adjabeng, on the road map,” he added.
The Municipal Assembly has said the relocation will help avoid traffic jam and accidents on the road as well as give owners of shops and their clients in that area the access to the shopping centres.
However, the traders maintain their slaes will dwindle when they move to the Bohye market which is some hundred metres away from the chaotic Zongo junction.
But Dollar Chairman believes the Zongo junction part of the N4 which links Adenta, Madina and the Tetteh Quarshie roundabout is a highway which should not have hawkers around it.
“the new market is a better place for them because the traders can get lockers for themselves and since the place is walled, it will provide them with absolute security,” the NPP chairman added.
He went on to state that the Municipal Assembly had provided electricity, borehole, and toilet facilities at the new market to make the traders comfortable while they go about their daily businesses.
The decongestion exercise was scheduled to take place in December 2018 but was temporarily halted because the leadership of the hawkers asked for time to celebrate the Christmas since moving to a new market in a festive season could affect their sales. The assembly agreed to their plea and gave them up to February 2019 to move to the new market.
But Chairman Dollar has assured that the decongestion exercise will take place in this month to bring sanity to the area.
