Accra, Feb. 15 GNA - The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on Wednesday night closed down the Agbogbloshie Market for its planned fumigation and clean-up exercise to begin.

The two-week exercise, which began at midnight, witnessed the demolition of unauthorized structures at the market by a joint task force of the police and the AMA.

Mr. Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson, Metropolitan Chief Executive of AMA, briefing pressmen before the exercise, said the action had become necessary because of the dense filth, which had engulfed the market. "The exercise is in the interest of the traders and the consuming public. We want to maintain a hygienic environment, devoid of filth, pests, insects and rodents."

He said the Assembly had adopted a multi-faceted approach to ensure an effective and comprehensive clean-up exercise and that the Health and Road Departments of the Assembly are involved.

As part of measures to ensure good sanitary and hygienic conditions at the market, the Health Department would medically screen all food vendors after which they would be certified as healthy and fit to sell food. The test would include tuberculosis, diarrhoea and other diseases. Nii Adjiri also spoke about plans to make butchers at the market wear overcoats when they are selling meat, improve the drainage and construct public toilets.

The Assembly would provide specially designed tables for the traders to hold their wares while no trader would be allowed to sell food items on the ground.

During the exercise, major and link roads to the market would be reconstructed and rehabilitated.

Nii Adjiri said the market would be handed back to the traders to resume trading in a more hygienic environment.

Armed police personnel in uniform and mufti are patrolling the market to enforce security during the exercise.

A visit by GNA to the market on Thursday morning revealed that the traders had relocated to a popular sale point known as "sabolai" (onion), a few metres from the Agbogbloshie Market.