Pokuase Interchange Hawkers Angry With Ga West MCE & Taskforce

Hundreds of hawking traders on the Pokuase Interchange and Amassama near the ‘Ayalolo’ park of the Ga West Municipality in the Greater Accra Region are boiling with anger at the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Ga West Municipal Assembly, Mr Clement Wilkinson together with his task force.

The aggrieved hawkers could not fathom why the MCE would order the task force and police officers to start an eviction exercise along the newly constructed Pokuase interchange.

They described the decision of the MCE and his task force as wrong and wicked, saying they thought that the opening of the newly constructed Pokuase interchange by President Nana Addo Dankwa Addo-Addo was rather going to improve their trading activities in the area.

But they lamented that the MCE has ordered the Assembly's task force and police on Thursday, July 15, 2021 morning to demolish all makeshift structures belonging to hawking traders around the interchange.

The demolition exercise has angered affected traders who are campaigning for the removal of Mr Wilkinson.

They have threatened to vote against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the next election if the MCE is not removed immediately.

The threats come after the Assembly's Task Force, the police, directed by the MCE stormed the roads to stop the traders from selling along the road.

Giving a detailed explanation in an interview with Soireenews, one of the traders, Mrs Stella Affia Aboagye accused the MCE of destroying their markets.

According to her," Mr Clement Wilkinson promised to build a market for them before the 2020 general elections but refused to fulfil his promise and rather destroyed the ones that were built for others for them.

After failing to build the market for them, she noted that they decided to jump on the roads to sell so that they can make a living until they are given a permanent place.

When asked why they decided to sell by the roads and not the market, the traders asserted that the markets built by the NDC government had become full and therefore they could not secure spaces in there.

She maintained that about five days ago, the MCE walked to them to warn them to go off the roads but they did not because they did not have anywhere to go and sell.

The traders have cautioned that “because the seat is for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), yet the Member of Parliament for Amasaman, Akwesi Afrifa’s humility won the seat for the incumbent government, they are cautioning the President that if he does not change Clement Wilkinson, "we will not vote for the NPP.”

 Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater Accra Regional Correspondent