Chiefs pledge strong support for decongestion exercise

The Kumasi Traditional Council (KTC) has pledged to give strong support to the effort by the metropolitan assembly to decongest and restore sanity to the city.

Baffour Owusu Amankwatia VI, the Bantamahene, who by tradition presides over the Council in the absence of the Asantehene, said they were eager to see the streets and pavements cleared of petty traders and hawkers.

He added that, the indiscipline, disorder and chaotic situation at the Central Business District could not continue.

He was speaking when he joined Mr. Osei Assibey-Antwi, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Commissioner of Police (COP) Ken Yeboah, the Ashanti Regional Commander, and leaders of the various traders’ associations to tour some markets in the metropolis.

These included the Central, Serwaa Kobi Ampem, Patasi, Kwadaso, Atasamanso, Race Course, Bantama and Adumanu markets.

Baffour Amankwatia said it was difficult to understand why anybody would want to display and sell their wares right on the streets and pavement, to create inconvenience for everybody, when there was enough space for them at the satellite markets.

That, he indicated, was completely unacceptable and should not be allowed, especially, when some of the markets were virtually empty – left unoccupied.
He asked that they relocated to the markets built for them in their own interest.

Mr. Assibey-Antwi underlined the unswerving determination of the assembly to enforce its bye-laws to keep the city clean and to allow for the free flow of human and vehicular traffic.

He was upset with the under-utilization of the Adumanu market, which comes with a lorry terminal meant for long-distance vehicles.