Public urged to patronise community markets to avoid overcrowding

Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), on Sunday appealed to the public to patronise the community markets for their foodstuff to prevent overcrowding at major markets in the Metropolis.

This would help maintain the social distancing protocol outlined by Government to stem the spread of the COVID-19, he said.

Mr Sowah made the appeal at a media briefing after he accompanied the Military hierarchy, led by Lieutenant-General Obed Boamah Akwa, the Chief of Defence Staff, to tour some markets and principal streets of Accra during a clean-up exercise to assess the progress of work.

He said he was baffled by the number of people who continued to travel several distances to some major markets in the city centre, particularly Agbogbloshie, to purchase foodstuffs even though they could do so within their localities to avoid overcrowding.

"There are markets in almost every community but people for one reason or the other would like to come to Agbogbloshie. If you want to buy tomatoes you can still get tomatoes in your community markets, any food stuff you want is available in your community markets," he noted.

Mr Sowah, therefore, urged the security at the various check points to ensure strict enforcement of the lockdown directive, including discouraging people from going into the city centre to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.

On the clean-up exercise, Mr Sowah said the Assembly was leveraging on the opportunity presented by the partial lockdown to improve sanitation in the Metropolis.

He said aside desilting of choked drains and the cleaning of open spaces, the Assembly was also encouraging households to bring out their waste for proper disposal.

The exercise is being organised by the Ministry of Sanitation, through the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces, Zoomlion Ghana and other partners.

Colonel Eric Aggrey-Quarshie, the Director of Public Relations, Ghana Armed Forces, said the exercise was a reinforcement of the Army’s contribution to national development.

He said the Ghana Armed Forces had deployed 400 all rank officers to participate in the exercise, which started on Friday, to rid the City of filth.

He urged city authorities to sustain the cleaning activities to maximise the health benefits and ensure food and public safety.