Sekondi youth kick against attempt to stop mall construction

Some concerned youth in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis have expressed their displeasure over Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and Ghana Air Force decision to prevent the construction of a proposed shopping mall in Takoradi due to air traffic safety and technical reasons.

Addressing a press conference in Sekondi to express their unhappiness, Alhaji Kamal Abubakari, the Secretary for the group, said the shopping mall would provide job opportunities for many unemployed youth in the metropolis and, therefore, appealed to the two institutions to reconsider their earlier decision.

He said the youth in the metropolis would oppose any attempt to deny the people of Western Region thousands of jobs and business opportunities that the shopping mall project would bring to them.

He said the youth disagreed with the Aviation Authority and Ghana Airforce explanations that the project cannot be undertaken on the 23-acre land near the Takoradi Airport for alleged technical reasons.

They therefore called for an independent body to conduct assessment at the proposed site to ascertain the veracity in their argument so that the outcome would be fair and acceptable to all parties interested in the project.

“This flagship project has captured the imagination of all well-meaning people of the twin city because of the great economic impact it will have on the region and stopping it will be a shame”, he said.

They argued that the designs of the proposed shopping mall and other ancillary facilities would not be high-rise facilities that would obstruct air traffic control.

Alhaji Abubakari said the Jubilee Park was constructed within the same precincts therefore the reasons given by the two institutions is unacceptable.

“We wonder what has changed so much so that overnight the very people who gave out the area to mechanics, artisans and car dealers for development facilities and collected annual rent from them would now turn around and say that the place is not conductive for commercial purposes” he said.

Mr. Kirk Mensah, a member of the group, said the construction of the shopping mall was not meant to compromise safety but ensure fairness and meet the social needs of the people.

He said there was a huge buffer zone around the proposed facility and that of the airport tarmac and, therefore, would not create any air safety problem.

He said if the Aviation Authority and the military failed to reverse their decision, they would hit the street to demonstrate against them for preventing investment and development in the region.

The Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly and some security taskforce earlier this year ejected over 2,500 artisans from the land proposed for the shopping mall in order to pave the way for the project.