Kumasi: Traders accuse city authorities of lacking will power to evict traders on pavements

Some Traders in Kumasi are disputing assertions by city authorities that Kumasi’s city centre cannot be decongested until space is created upon completion of the new Kejetia edifice.

They rather accuse management of the city of lack of political will to evict hawkers who have taken over pavements at the central business district.

Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, recently told the Ashanti Traditional Council that the CBD can only be decongested after completion of the new central market because there is no other place to relocate the traders.

But checks reveal many of the satellite markets created for that purpose in Kumasi remain empty as traders defy orders to move.

The central business district of Kumasi is hugely congested with human and vehicular activities. The development is increasing the cost of doing business and making it difficult to move easily within the CBD.

Plans to decongest and decentralise business activities in Kumasi over the years have hit the rocks. City authorities have blamed the congestion and the vehicular nuisance on the redevelopment of the second phase of the Kejetia project.

At the Kwadwo Edwinase market, the place was virtually empty.

“Since its completion in 2015-2016 the market has been vacant, authorities’ lackadaisical attitude to relocate traders to fill the market space has not only created congestion and nuisance at the CBD but has deprived Kwadaso and it’s environs of economic vibrancy.

The Adoato Adumanu market sits on a hill in the middle of that part of the city with a nice environment yet the market is empty.

City authorities, noticing the unwillingness of traders to move to the market, decided to convert it to a footwear and petty business market but it’s yet to function fully.

A member of the footwear makers association, Oppong Nicholas, is calling on colleagues on pavements and other places to join them.

“Business is good here but I don’t know why colleagues are still at the part of the central market yet to be demolished, they should join us for the contractor to work effectively”, he advised.

Traders at Race Course and Afia Kobi markets are facing a similar situation. Their colleagues have abandoned their shelves and shops to ply their businesses on the pavements at the CBD.

They blame city authorities for the congestion at the city centre.

“Authorities inability to evict traders from the pavement has caused us a lot, we keep pumping money into our business just to ensure it doesn’t collapse, if all of them are here, people will troop to do business with us.