Koforidua Traders express concern about relocation

The New Juaben Municipal Assembly has given a three months ultimatum to the traders and drivers at the Koforidua-Ho station to relocate to a place yet to be decided by the assembly to make way for the upgrading of the station.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, Dr. Kwaku Owusu Acheampong, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the New Juabeng Municipal Assembly, said after the rehabilitation of the station, the lorry park, which is closer to the Central Police Station, will be moved to the Ho station to decongest the area.

Mr. Michael Asiamah, a lotto agent, said upon meeting the assembly, the lotto agents were not given a place to relocate, but were asked to go and look for a suitable place for approval by the assembly.

Mr. Asiamah said they are looking for a place but were facing challenges as the municipality seemed choked up.

Madam Enyonam Duagbor, a food vendor, said food vendors at the station were also asked to look for a place to relocate, but were finding it difficult to get a place.

She said the assembly has promised building a canteen for the food vendors as part of the upgrading of the station, but the food vendors fear that the canteen would not be allocated to them because the assembly might demand some rent advance, which many of the current food vendors might not be able to provide.

Ms. Duagbor also expressed concern about the three months ultimatum given them and said the period is too short a time to find a place to move.

Mr. Ahmed Yakari, the Koforidua-Somanya GPRTU branch chairman, also said the branch executives have also been asked to move their offices from the station, and that, they will meet the assembly within two weeks to deliberate on the issue.