Don't lease railway land to individuals - Second-hand cloths dealers

Accra, May 30, GNA - The Kantamanto Traders Association has appealed to the government to stop the Ghana Railways Corporation (GRC) from leasing lands at the Accra Railway Station to individuals. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, the Chairman of the Association, Mr. Samuel Amoah, said the Association leased two plots of land from the GRC in 1998 for second-hand cloths dealers. He said late 2008, the Accra Area Manager of the Corporation informed the traders that one Mr. Charles Obeng and Pioneer Merchants had acquired portions of the land they were occupying and asked them to vacate the plots.

Mr. Amoah explained that the Association had approached the GRC in 1998 for permission to put up a complex on the plots, which was refused because the Corporation said the land was to be used for a planned railway rehabilitation and expansion programme. Mr. Yiadom Adarkwa, an Executive Member of the Association questioned why the GRC would not allow them to build the complex on the plots but would lease it to a private individual and Pioneer Merchants for 28 years.

He stated that the Association had about 2,000 members who would resort to the already congested streets of the Central Business District (CBD) of the city when and if they were evicted from the plots. Mr. Adarkwa pointed out that if land was to be divested the Association should be given preference because they were already on the plots and had shown interest in developing it. Mr. Baffuor Akoto also an Executive Member, noted that there were moves to decongest the CBD of both vehicular and human traffic and said if they were removed from their present market, members of the Association would be forced to join the hawkers on the streets to earn a living. Mr. Jerry John Motty, Chairman of the Kantamanto branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), expressed confidence that the government would intervene to ensure justice and fair play. He noted that as a social democratic party, which had the welfare of the people as its supreme principle unlike the previous administration that professed "property owning democracy" the government of the NDC would ensure the well-being of "the ordinary man".

Mr. Motty stated that those who had acquired portion of the land had attempted on two occasions on a Sunday and a holiday to pull down the structures of the second- hand cloths dealers.

Mr. John Num, Vice Chairman of the Association, cited the statement by the MP for Odododiodioo, Mr. Jonathan Tackie-Komme, during a visit to the Railway Station during which he asked the traders to remain calm as he consulted the authorities and the management of the GRC on the issue. The MP pointed out during the visit that the Railway land was acquired by the colonial government for a purpose and stated that if the Corporation did not have any use for it the GRC should return it to its original owners and not to lease it to private persons.