Onion traders at Kwadaso in Kumasi will have to begin adjusting themselves to their new place of doing business after being forcefully evicted.
A joint military-police taskforce on Monday, April 22 enforced the eviction directive issued by the Ashanti Regional Security Council after initial resistance by the traders.
The Council, in a statement cited security risk for motorists, pedestrians, and the traders alongside vehicular traffic during peak hours, as reasons for the relocation of the market.
Under the supervision of the military and police, the entire market structure accommodating over two thousand traders was flattened within three hours.
After plying his trade at the Kwadaso onion market for more than eleven years, Alhassan Azure is now forced to start afresh at a new place.
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“We are not saying we will not relocate, but the issue at hand is the place is too small to contain all of us. This new place is likely to pose the same traffic congestion the Regional Coordinating Council is complaining about. They should just get us a spacious environment”, he suggested.
Stephen Kwarteng, another trader confirmed they’ve been served eviction notice on countless occasions, but they kept dragging their feet because of the inadequacy of space at the new market.
“No marketplace in Kumasi is traffic-free, so the traffic congestion reason is not tangible enough. Again, where we are being relocated to will even witness worst traffic situation in few months when we finally move there. For now, we are left with no choice but to go”, Stephen indicated.
Whilst some of the onion traders have accepted their new market environment and have moved to secure their trading spot, others are bent on trading along the shoulders of the road and close to the old market.
Though the traders have made known their concerns, the regional Security Council is determined to relocate all the onion traders to the new market at Atwima Takyiman – a 20-minute drive from Kwadaso.
But as to whether the relocation would be sustainable or not, only time will tell.
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