Tudu traders accuse AMA of handing over plot to businessman

Accra, May 8, GNA - Traders at the Tudu lorry station in Accra have vowed to protest against the alleged handing over of a plot of land to a businessman, Mr Kwame Danquah to construct stores in the area. The traders are accusing the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) of handing over the plot to the businessman but the Assembly says no action has been taken on Mr. Danquah's request.

Mr. John Appiah, Public Relations Officer of AMA, told the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday that it was true Mr. Danquah had expressed interest in developing the area by putting up modern structures that would make the place look decent, but his proposals had not been considered as yet.

"They (traders) are making a lot of noise about nothing," he added. He said, if the traders were sure of developing the place themselves they should see the AMA for possible ways they could be assisted to carry out the project, as the Assembly was committed to the restructuring and modernisation of the capital city.

Last week, the traders dressed in black and red with red bands around their wrists and head chanted war songs and danced for about 45 minutes with placards to draw attention to the alleged handing over of the plot to Mr Danquah.

Some of the placards read: "Hon. AMA Mayor use your good office to let peace prevail," "Kwame Danquah you can bribe the officials of AMA but not us," "Kwame Danquah use your money to build rooms for universities in Ghana."

According to Vida Seadey, Coordinator of the three associations at the Tudu lorry park, a few weeks ago they had information that the businessman was coming to the area to demolish structures and put up a storey building for stores.

The associations are the Indigenous Caterers Association (chop bar operators), Tomato Traders Association and Ghana Private Road Transport Union.

Ms Seadey said, if the place was handed over to Mr Danquah, over 1,000 people who work there would be affected and expressed their preparedness to raise money to redevelop the land. "We will therefore resist any attempts by anybody to the last drop of our blood if any attempt is made to uproot us like cassava from the lorry park. We intend every word of this threat and neither police nor AMA task force will force us to turn back in our resolve to fight the businessman," she said.