CLASH OVER MARKET STALLS AT ASHAIMAN (PAGE 29, DEC 11)

RENEWED tension is brewing at Ashaiman as hawkers in the municipality are on a collision course with the municipal assembly.
The hawkers, who were evicted from the streets last Saturday, also faced a stiff opposition from traders at the disputed ‘Kufuor Station’, where the municipal assembly demolished container stores and sheds belonging to occupants of the place.
Addressing a press conference to register their protest, the Chairman of the Ashaiman Peace Traders Association, Mr James Mensah, accused the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) of sacrificing members of the association by making them scapegoats following directives from the queen of Ashaiman Market on the forfeiture of market tolls, if hawkers were not evacuated from the streets.
He expressed regret that the assembly, as the sole owner of the market, would allow an individual to take hostage of its operations, questioned the Municipal Chief Executive’s (MCE) capacity to handle the affairs of the community with an estimated population of 300,000 people.
He also expressed disappointment at the way the assembly handled affairs of the group after a series of meetings with it, which resulted in the signing of a memorandum of understanding, in which the assembly pledged its commitment to attach a human face to the eviction exercise.
“We were, therefore, taken aback by the MCE’s decision to yield to the selfish desire of the queen of Ashaiman Market into using the military to harrass the group,” Mr Mensah remarked.
He has, therefore, called on the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Alfred Agbesi, to call the MCE to order to avert a disaster in the community.
“I can assure you that, should the group decide to embark on a massive demonstration, things may go haywire following the volatile nature of the municipality, hence the need for the MCE and the assembly as an organ of government to remain non-partisan on issues that affect the development of the community.”
“We would vehemently oppose the proposed relocation to the new site if the assembly fails to build a fence to provide security, provide electricity, a warehouse (stores), urinal/wash rooms and toilet facilities, security lights, do proper allocations of sheds, and deploy security personnel to ward off criminals, among other things”.
He has, therefore, called on the assembly to use dialogue and consensus building and stop the radical approach of using soldiers and the police in order to avoid negative consequences.
The MCE, Numo Addison Adinortey, who came to the protest grounds, accompanied by a heavy military security, told the Daily Graphic that the assembly had had a series of meetings with the two trading associations and had thus decided to restructure the place for their activities.
He, however, did not say how soon the restructuring exercise would begin in order to accomodate the hawkers.
Meanwhile, occupants of the site whose stores and sheds were destroyed in the raid are also calling on the assembly to halt the relocation process until all issues are addressed and resolved.