GAMA asks AMA to enforce its directives

Accra, May 5, GNA - The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has been asked to enforce its directives to relocate all traders from the Novotel Park to Odawna New Market to forestall peace among the traders. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday at Odawna, Madam Mercy Needjan, President of the Greater Accra Market Association (GAMA), said the relocation was necessary due to an agreement reached between the AMA and the executives of the association.

She said it was not fair for the majority of the law abiding traders to relocate while others were still trading on the park creating the impression that the association had gone contrary to the AMA directives. Madam Needjan said the Novotel Park had 33 group leaders who formed the general executive and a decision making body of GAMA and wondered what created the breakaway faction.

She said it was alleged that the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey had a meeting with a section of the traders at Novotel leading to those who had already moved to the Odawna Market to return to the area to trade and that created confusion among the women. Miss Bernice Otoo, President of the Novotel Market Traders Association expressed shock that after series of meetings with the AMA for the relocation, some traders had come back without consulting the executives. She said it was therefore disheartening for politicians to interfere in the affairs of traders and appealed to the AMA to enforce its directives to the letter.

When contacted, Numo Blafo III, Deputy Public Relations Officer of the AMA, said the Novotel land had been earmarked for ultra-modern city hall and therefore there was no way the traders would be allowed to ply their trade there.

"Whether they like it or not they would have to relocate to the Odawna new market to pave way for the project to take off this year." He called on the GAMA executives to exercise restraint as the recalcitrant traders would by all means be moved after completion of the Odawna shed. 05 May 10