Angry traders threaten naked demo over destruction of 185 bags of salt by armed soldiers

The Mallam Market Traders Association has issued a three-day ultimatum to the Ministries of Sanitation and Water Resources and Defence to recall military men stationed at the market to guard a reclaimed land or risk killing them all.

The angry traders have also threatened to hit the streets naked if the soldiers are not recalled to the barracks.

According to them, they could not be strangers on their own land after the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources approached them to assist in the reclamation of a portion of the Mallam Market, but is now claiming ownership of the same land.

The traders issued these threats following the destruction of 185 bags of salt last Thursday, February 18 by soldiers who had been detailed to the area to guard the land.

Some of the affected traders wearing red gears and armed bands sung war songs and called on the two ministries to as a matter of urgency recall the military and police personnel stationed at the reclaimed land area.

Speaking to the DAILY HERITAGE after a press conference organised yesterday at the Mallam Market, the chairman of the Association, Mr Nart Beaumont said the behaviour of the men in uniform had shown that they could not live with them, hence the call for their recall.

Mr Beaumont said they were there when the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Mr Kofi Adda came to the market and asked them to allow the ministry to help them to reclaim the land for reconstruction.

He said if the military men fail to vacate the area, they would use all legal means to seek redress.

“After reclaiming the portion, the ministry stationed both police and military officers to man the place and what we are hearing now is that they want to use the place for land fill site which was not the earlier agreement,” he stated.

The chairman said currently, the Mallam Market had been contracted to Comet Construction Limited. The company has since August 2017 moved to site, but due to relocation of the market women the project had been halted.

He stated that the military had no power to declare the site a military zone. He also called on the ministry to pay for the 185 bags of salt dumped into the gutter because the livelihood of the traders depended on them.

Market women

Some of the market women who spoke to the paper were in tears following the destruction of their bags of salt. They cursed the military men who ordered for the destruction and called on the military high command to sanction and compel them to pay.

Comet construction

The Project Coordinator of Comet Construction Limited, Nana Adom, in an interview with the DAILY HERITAGE said the project is in three phases – the first phase deals with the construction of a modern toilet facility, the second phase deals with the establishment of crèche and the final phase is the building of the market itself.

Mr Adom revealed that the company moved to site somewhere August last year and ever since found it difficult to relocate the traders.

Checks at the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources indicated that the ministry had secured that land for the construction of a modern land fill site to contain waste generated in some parts of the capital.