Kufuor saves AMA boss from mob

The timely intervention of President John Agyekum Kufuor yesterday saved the Mayor of Accra, Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blackson, from the grips of angry market women from the Accra metropolis, who nearly tore him apart after pouncing on him.

At a sod-cutting ceremony for the commencement of reconstruction works of selected roads in the Central Business District (CBD) of Accra, the angry women who felt deceived by the Mayor, grabbed him, rained insults on him and molested him.

The women, numbering about 500, had thronged to the scene of the ceremony at Mantse Agbonaa, James Town in Accra, hoping to get some good news on the distribution of stalls at Odawna Hawkers Market at Kwame Nkumah Circle, but were disappointed to hear no such news.

After patiently listening to President John Agyekum Kufuor’s speech, and realising that it was not related to the anticipated topic they had been invited to listen to, they began to disperse.

This development prompted Mr Adjiri-Blankson to persuade them to return to the grounds.

But this did not go down well with the market women, as they surged forward and jostled the Mayor amidst hurling of invectives at him.

The scenario created a momentary pandemonium, until President Kufuor intervened, and called for calm.

He pleaded with the furious women and subsequently assured them that government would build an ultra-modern market for them.

“Government would not fail you,” the president stressed.

President Kufuor apologised for not talking about the market, saying, “I will find time to come and cut the sod for a new market place.”

Some of the market women, in separate interviews with Daily Guide, explained that an official of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) had informed them that President Kufuor would cut the sod for a new market, in addition to the on-going project at Odawna.

According to them, when they noted that the President’s speech had nothing to do with the construction of a new market, they flared up, since they had to close their shops to attend what they branded, “the important ceremony”.

President Kufuor cut the sod for the commencement of work on the ¢127 billion road project at the Accra Central Business District.

The project would cover a total of six kilometers, including the reconstruction and upgrading of the High Street with dualisation from Independence Arch to the former Multi Stores, reconstruction of Korle-Lagoon bridge with four lanes of two per direction and the pedestrianisation of 1.7 kilometer of Okaishie roads with concrete block pavement.

Solely funded by the Government, the project would be executed by Messrs China Railway Wuju Group, and completed in sixteen months.

Government, President Kufuor said, had been working feverishly towards the implementation of the project in view of the immense economic and historic importance of the Accra Central Buiness District, especially the High Street.

Describing the District as the heart of Accra, President Kufuor regretted that given the critical importance of the District to the national economy, it had been neglected and lagging in development with the requisite level of services and infrastructure.

“The phenomenal growth in size and population of Accra, over the past four decades, and increased vehicular ownership have resulted in chaotic human and vehicular traffic in the nerve center of the national capital”.

To redress this imbalance and also endow the nucleus of national capital with befitting image, President Kufuor indicated that government had resolved to commence the project.

Also, he announced government projects that were in the pipeline, including the Kwame Nkrumah Circle interchange, the Accra East corridor linking the Motorway to Teshie and Accra and the Labadi-Tema-Accra road project.

Other projects were the development of the sea front, which included upgrading old labour site into a modern fishing harbour and the construction of modern hotels along the beach, as well as a third Ring Road around Accra from Awoshie, through Pokuase to Ashaiman.

Recalling the commencement of work on the project in 2003 with the design of 25 kilometres, the Deputy Minister of Roads Transport, Magnus Opare-Asamoah, said the project was designed to start with the development of the High Street into a dual carriageway between Independence Square and the Bank of Ghana.

Thereafter, it was to split into a one-way pair of Asafoatse Nettey road to the West and to the East from the Old Abattoire on the High Street to the bank of Ghana.

The Korle Lagoon road would then connect the two roads to complete the one-way pair.

He said the design was premised on the fact that some parts of Old Accra, especially the historic sites such as Ussher Fort, James Fort and the Brazilian House, were designated as World Heritage Sites to maintain the serenity.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C Quaye, recalled that Ghana had gone through bitter experiences, which got everybody on their knees to pray to God who heard their prayers.

He charged Ghanaians to look upon the good fortune with a sense of great pride, admonishing, “Should we do the opposite, we shall prove ourselves unworthy of our heritage.”