Court orders AMA to clear petty traders from Knutford Avenue

Accra, June 28, GNA 96 An Accra Fast Track High Court on Wednesday ordered the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to remove all petty traders from the Knutford Avenue in the Central Business District of Accra to ease congestion in the area.

Mr Labib Seraphim of C. B. Seraphim Departmental Stores instituted a suit to compel AMA to clear the frontage of his premises of petty traders in order to allow him access to his properties.

He said the petty traders were trespassers in front of about 200 stores owned by 50 Landlords in the area and had blocked the front view of stores thus preventing buyers from seeing wares of the storekeepers. The traders have three main associations - United Petty Traders; Positive Traders and Street Vendors Association.

Mr John Appiah, Public Relations Officer of AMA, said the Assembly had pleaded with the Court to grant them six months to complete the new hawkers' market at Odawnna, near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

He said the AMA therefore intended to see to the clearing of the premises as a first step to complying with the directive. "The Leadership of the traders has been requested to ensure that the affected traders vacate the premises, so as not to compel the AMA to resort to the use of force to remove them," he said. Mr Paul Adu-Boahen, Vice President of Positive Traders Association, who pleaded on behalf of the traders, called on the AMA to step in and to expedite work on the new hawkers market that would contain about 27,000 petty traders.

"We do not have anywhere to go; Mr Seraphim should understand and give us some time to move," he said.

The Court has adjourned the case to July 7 2006 for further hearing.