News
AMA kicks off major decongestion exercise in Accra
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, officially commenced a long-anticipated decongestion exercise across major parts of the Central Business District (CBD) to clear unauthorised trading activities from pavements and on the streets.
The operation, which began at 4:00 a.m. and was supervised by the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, targeted Kinbu Street and extended through Makola, CMB, Circle, and Kaneshie.
In an interaction with hawkers, during the exercise, Mayor Allotey reiterated that the operation was a necessity, not an act of aggression, stressing that it aimed to clean Accra and make it a model capital for the sub-region.
He used the opportunity to announce several measures under the government’s 24-hour economy agenda, including the installation of solar-powered streetlights and a new rotational trading system that would allow traders to sell for longer hours on selected days.
He announced plans to select trader leaders to oversee sanitation responsibilities in various trading enclaves, warning that failure to keep areas clean would result in severe penalties, including confiscation of wares.
Addressing some transport operators who have taken over portions of the streets for loading, the Mayor cautioned them to stay away from loading on the streets and move into the stations for safety, saying, “You’re the same people now causing the problem.”
“Some of you complain politicians are destroying the country, but what you’re doing here is also wrong. If we destroy this city, we’ll all suffer,” he cautioned.
Briefing the media after the initial rounds of enforcement, Mr.Allotey emphasised that the exercise was not a nine-day wonder or designed to frustrate traders, but to restore order and dignity to the capital.
“We are not here to sack anyone. The President didn’t appoint me to mistreat traders. That’s why I speak to you with humility and explain our plans. For today, we won’t seize your items. But from tomorrow, if we find you violating the rules, we will confiscate your goods and give them to charity,” he warned.
The Mayor assured traders of his open-door policy, urging them not to retaliate when they encounter misconduct from city guards.
“If any AMA worker offends you, don’t fight them. Come directly to my office — you don’t need an appointment. I am the Mayor for the people,” he said.
While touring the Circle area, Mayor Kpakpo Allotey revealed plans to construct affordable mini shops for hawkers along cleared areas to offer a more sustainable trading option.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KoKMA), Alfred Ato Allotey-Gaisie, commended the traders for the level of cooperation received, noting that the operation had been largely successful.
“We started from the Kinbu area and moved through Makola, CMB, Circle, and Kaneshie. Especially at Kaneshie, we saw that traders had moved back to the demarcated areas. The bridge is completely cleared,” he said.
Mr.Gaisie stressed that the operation would continue daily until Friday to ensure full compliance, clarifying that not all traders would be moved entirely from the streets.
“We’ll do the same thing tomorrow and the day after. Our aim is not to harass anyone, but to ensure free movement for both pedestrians and vehicles. Already, we’ve seen massive improvement today. We’ve drawn a red line and will arrange traders along it. We’re not displacing everyone,” he stated.
He also hinted at a rotational system for trading in congested zones such as Katamanto and parts of the CBD, proposing two designated days in a week where traders can operate along certain streets into the night.
“This will help them earn their income without returning to illegal spots. We don’t want to frustrate anyone. Everyone has the right to feed their families — but we also have a responsibility to maintain law and order,” Mr. Gaisie noted.
The family of Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, a distinguished statesman and diplomat, has paid a courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama. They officially informed him of his passing.
The delegation, representing the Gbeho family, noted that it was culturally and diplomatically important to formally notify the President of the loss before making a public announcement of his death.
Ambassador Gbeho was a towering figure in Ghanaian and international politics. He served in many diplomatic missions, including New York. He was Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, a Member of Parliament for the Anlo constituency, and President (formerly Executive Secretary) of the ECOWAS Commission.
He was widely respected for his role in regional integration and his contributions to global diplomacy at the United Nations.
President Mahama expressed his condolences and shared reflections on Ambassador Gbeho’s contributions to the country, West Africa and the world.
Funeral details will be announced later.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has revoked all firearm permits in Ghana with immediate effect and announced a new registration process for all gun owners.
The minister made the announcement on Tuesday, June 23, at the information service department saying all individuals who currently hold licences to own firearms or sidearms must undergo a fresh registration process.
“From this afternoon, all permits that have been granted to any individual that you are holding a sidearm or firearm is hereby revoked,” Mr Muntaka said.
He explained that the government had identified gaps in the country’s firearm registration system and needed to introduce stricter measures to improve public safety.
“We are opening the window where everyone will have to come forward again to register or re-register the gun because we’ve changed the procedure,” he stated.
According to him, the government decided not to wait until the end of the year to make the changes because lives could still be saved within the next six months.
The Interior Minister said one of the new requirements would be mandatory mental health screening for applicants seeking firearm licences.
“We’ve seen that people with mental health have already gone through and have the sidearm. Now we are introducing mental health. Before we give you the sidearm, we have to be sure that you have the mental stability to hold the firearms,” he said.
Mr Muntaka also announced that applicants would be required to undergo drug tests before being granted licences.
“We’ve also realised that people who are on drugs are also holding their arms and they are legitimate because it’s been registered. Now you have to go through drug tests to be sure that you are not on drugs before you can hold sidearms,” he added.
The minister said the new measures form part of efforts by the government to tighten firearm control and prevent legally registered weapons from falling into the wrong hands.
He urged all firearm owners to cooperate with the new registration process once details of the exercise are announced.
By: Jacob Aggrey
