Kasoa, (C/R), Sept. 26, GNA - The Chiefs and people of the Odupong Ofaakor Divisional Council of the Awutu Traditional Area have called on the business community and other interested parties to join them to develop the newly re-located Kasoa market.
The new market, which started two years ago and is estimated to cost about two billion cedis, has come to standstill because negotiations between the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly and the Odupongkpehe Traditional Authorities had stalled.
Nai Otsor Adawu Darko Tetteh 11, Traditional Priest of the Council, made the appeal on behalf of Nai Odupong Awushie II, Chief of Odupong Ofaakor, at a press conference at Kasoa.
The Odupongkpehe Stool organised the conference to explain its stand on the re-location of the Odupongkpehe (Kasoa) market.
He said the Odupong Stool after fruitful discussions with the traders' association earmarked 20 hectares for the re-location of the Kasoa market in 1986 but due to the inaction of the Awutu District Assembly, the area was encroached upon.
Nai Tetteh said for the sake of strategic planning and other administrative requirements to help facilitate the programme, the District Assembly was prevailed upon to assist to develop another 30 hectares with funds provided by the Agricultural Sector Improvement Project (ASIP).
He said it was unfortunate that the District Assembly virtually took over the project but on several occasions failed to meet members of the Stool, who were custodians of the land to enter into negotiations.
Nai Tetteh said the Stool issued a warning to the Assembly with the intention of going to court to seek redress when the Assembly failed to meet with them and went ahead to advertise for interested parties wishing to acquire facilities at the uncompleted market to deposit various sums of money into its accounts.
"These, the Stool felt were attempts by the Assembly to completely take over the project from them and thereby kill our interest, which no civil society or institution such as ours will condone".
Nai Tetteh said at two separate meetings between the representatives of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly and the Traditional Authorities, the two parties agreed that the Stool would use the value of the 30 hectares as equity share in the company to be set up.
That the real value of the market land should be determined by the Land Valuation Board, that a goodwill of 200 million cedis be paid by the Assembly in four quarterly instalments to the landowners and that a mechanism be put in place by the two parties in forming a company within a period of six months.
The Traditional Priest said the moderators of the meetings included the District Chief Executives of Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam; Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem, Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa and the Twifu-Heman-Lower Denkyira District Assemblies.
He said it was regrettable that the Assembly had not honoured any of the terms agreed upon while the old Kasoa market continued to burst at its seams spilling over unto the main Accra-Cape Coast Highway with its attendant accidents.
Nai Tetteh said as a way forward to get the market immediately re-located, the Stool was providing three warehousing facilities; refuse collection points; restaurant and parking lot.
He said it was, therefore, erroneous to accuse the Odupong Stool of deliberately putting impediments in the way of the District Assembly and Central Government in their efforts to complete the project.
The Traditional Priest said the Stool had in the past teamed up with the Odupongkpehe Market Retailers Association to provide 300 sheds, gravelled the market and provided a lorry park for the market with the collaborative effort of the local GPRTU and the market retailers to upgrade the market at Kasoa.
Captain Stephen Armah (rtd) the District Chief Executive of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly in a telephone interview with the the new market.
He said what the traditional authority was doing was illegal since they had filed a writ at the court and October 13 had been set for the hearing.
The DCE said the laws establishing the District Assemblies gave it absolute authority and any conflicting decision concerning lands would be violating the Constitution.
Capt. Armah said the Assembly was, however, prepared to come to agreeable terms to settle the impasse for the early relocation of the market to pave the way for the road project in the area.
Mr Kwesi Esseku, Presiding Member of the District Assembly, corroborated what the District Chief Executive said, explaining that Legislative Instrument 1316 was clear about the ownership of lands and the Assembly would not want to set any precedent by not following the laid-down procedures.
Mr Esseku said the Assembly in its desire to ensure that the new market functioned drilled two boreholes at the new site, constructed a KVIP, provided water tankers and platforms for the traders before an
Kasoa, (C/R), Sept. 26, GNA - The Chiefs and people of the Odupong Ofaakor Divisional Council of the Awutu Traditional Area have called on the business community and other interested parties to join them to develop the newly re-located Kasoa market.
The new market, which started two years ago and is estimated to cost about two billion cedis, has come to standstill because negotiations between the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly and the Odupongkpehe Traditional Authorities had stalled.
Nai Otsor Adawu Darko Tetteh 11, Traditional Priest of the Council, made the appeal on behalf of Nai Odupong Awushie II, Chief of Odupong Ofaakor, at a press conference at Kasoa.
The Odupongkpehe Stool organised the conference to explain its stand on the re-location of the Odupongkpehe (Kasoa) market.
He said the Odupong Stool after fruitful discussions with the traders' association earmarked 20 hectares for the re-location of the Kasoa market in 1986 but due to the inaction of the Awutu District Assembly, the area was encroached upon.
Nai Tetteh said for the sake of strategic planning and other administrative requirements to help facilitate the programme, the District Assembly was prevailed upon to assist to develop another 30 hectares with funds provided by the Agricultural Sector Improvement Project (ASIP).
He said it was unfortunate that the District Assembly virtually took over the project but on several occasions failed to meet members of the Stool, who were custodians of the land to enter into negotiations.
Nai Tetteh said the Stool issued a warning to the Assembly with the intention of going to court to seek redress when the Assembly failed to meet with them and went ahead to advertise for interested parties wishing to acquire facilities at the uncompleted market to deposit various sums of money into its accounts.
"These, the Stool felt were attempts by the Assembly to completely take over the project from them and thereby kill our interest, which no civil society or institution such as ours will condone".
Nai Tetteh said at two separate meetings between the representatives of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly and the Traditional Authorities, the two parties agreed that the Stool would use the value of the 30 hectares as equity share in the company to be set up.
That the real value of the market land should be determined by the Land Valuation Board, that a goodwill of 200 million cedis be paid by the Assembly in four quarterly instalments to the landowners and that a mechanism be put in place by the two parties in forming a company within a period of six months.
The Traditional Priest said the moderators of the meetings included the District Chief Executives of Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam; Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem, Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa and the Twifu-Heman-Lower Denkyira District Assemblies.
He said it was regrettable that the Assembly had not honoured any of the terms agreed upon while the old Kasoa market continued to burst at its seams spilling over unto the main Accra-Cape Coast Highway with its attendant accidents.
Nai Tetteh said as a way forward to get the market immediately re-located, the Stool was providing three warehousing facilities; refuse collection points; restaurant and parking lot.
He said it was, therefore, erroneous to accuse the Odupong Stool of deliberately putting impediments in the way of the District Assembly and Central Government in their efforts to complete the project.
The Traditional Priest said the Stool had in the past teamed up with the Odupongkpehe Market Retailers Association to provide 300 sheds, gravelled the market and provided a lorry park for the market with the collaborative effort of the local GPRTU and the market retailers to upgrade the market at Kasoa.
Captain Stephen Armah (rtd) the District Chief Executive of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Assembly in a telephone interview with the the new market.
He said what the traditional authority was doing was illegal since they had filed a writ at the court and October 13 had been set for the hearing.
The DCE said the laws establishing the District Assemblies gave it absolute authority and any conflicting decision concerning lands would be violating the Constitution.
Capt. Armah said the Assembly was, however, prepared to come to agreeable terms to settle the impasse for the early relocation of the market to pave the way for the road project in the area.
Mr Kwesi Esseku, Presiding Member of the District Assembly, corroborated what the District Chief Executive said, explaining that Legislative Instrument 1316 was clear about the ownership of lands and the Assembly would not want to set any precedent by not following the laid-down procedures.
Mr Esseku said the Assembly in its desire to ensure that the new market functioned drilled two boreholes at the new site, constructed a KVIP, provided water tankers and platforms for the traders before an
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