Traders at Odawna Market at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra are up in alms with the government over failure to reconstruct the market.
A year after fire ravaged the market, the traders say they are left with no other choice than sell on pavements.
However, ahead of Operation Clean Your Frontage initiative by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, the traders face eviction to make way for human and vehicular traffic.
Based on this backdrop, the traders are demanding immediate reconstruction of the market to enable them to return to their shops.
Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Tuesday, Chairperson of the Pedestrian Traders Association, Veronica Boakye, said they have been given a week to vacate the pavement.
“We pleaded for more time but the Minister has asked us to move so we are left with no other choice than to leave,” she bemoaned.
Madam Veronica said though the government paid compensation to some affected traders, it is not enough to get them back to their feet.
“Majority of us are home due to space; all we are asking is for government to reconstruct our market for us,” she noted.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for Korle Klottey, Samuel Nii Adjei Tawiah, assured the traders of prompt action.
He explained that the location of the market is prone to flooding so they want to construct a storm drain before reconstructing the market to address the perennial flooding in the area.
He appealed to the traders to exercise restraint as they work to address their issues.
