ASHAIMAN TRADERS ACCUSE ASSEMBLY OFFICIALS, DAILY GRAPHIC JAN 13,10 (PAGE 30)

THE Ashaiman Peace Traders Association and the Municipal Assembly are on a collision course following the decongestion exercise being carried out by the assembly.
The exercise was meant to relocate members of the association and other trading groups in the municipality to the old lorry park popularly referred to as the ‘Kufour Station’.
The traders alleged that top officials have misappropriated large sums of money through the allocation of plots to the hawkers at the cost of GH¢500.
They claim in a memorandum of understanding signed between the hawkers, the assembly agreed to allot the plots free of charge while the traders erect their own sheds, but the municipal chief executive, Mr Addison Adinortey-Numo and his allies were selling the plots to the applicants.
In addition, they said a brother of the MCE is allegedly allocating plots at GH¢500, even though he is not an employee of the assembly.
According to them, although more than 900 plots had been demarcated for allocation, to the hawkers, only 282 out of a total of 852 names submitted by the association to the assembly had had plots allocated to them.
They further claim that members of the Ashaiman NDC Task Force had been given 24 plots although they were not traders.
In addition, they said, the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Alfred Agbesi, the presiding member of the assembly, Mr Emmanuel Nikoi Dsane, officers of the First Battalion of Infantry who assisted in the recent decongestion exercise as well as the traditional council were all allocated a total of 70 plots to be developed into sheds although these individuals and groups do not fall under the traders association nor performs any trading activities.
The brother of the chief executive when contacted on the telephone admitted allocating structures to some traders and people who fall under the assembly’s protocol list at a cost of GH¢180 and not GH¢500 as being alleged.
The MCE would not confirm or deny the allegation by the traders but warned that he would take on any individual or group of persons that spreads falsehood on his role in the allocations.
Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Alfred Agbesi, on the other hand admitted a receipt of two plots and not five as indicated.
The chairman of the Ashaiman Peace Traders Association, Mr James Mensa challenged the chief executive to come out openly and explained the rationale behind the activities of his brother who continually constructs sheds at the new market although he is not an employee of the assembly.
Mr Mensah noted, members of the association would renege on the memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties and return to the streets if the assembly do not fulfils its promise of providing space for the over 500 members who had still not been given plots.