General News of Thursday, 6 November 1997

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Kejetia Traders Appeal To Rawlings

Kumasi, (Greater Accra) 5 Nov., The Kejetia "Mighty 18" Traders Association has appealed to President J. J. Rawlings to impress upon the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to create a permanent market place for them. It also appealed to the President to intervene in the recent ejection and demolition exercise by the KMA under the pretext of clearing the city centre. A petition to the President signed by the Chairman of the Association, Nana Samuel Kofi Boateng, said the leadership of the Association met the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Nana Akwasi Agyeman last year and it was agreed that a permanent market site be prepared for traders operating within Kejetia. It said, however, that on October 15, this year, the KMA Chief Executive accompanied by a team of Policemen came round the Kejetia area confiscated goods and arrested some of the members. ''All these have taken place without the KMA first honouring its part of the agreement reached last year to create a permanent market for us'', it said, The petition said as a result of the exercise most of the members are confused, even some of them have lost their working capital due to the confiscation of their goods. The petition asked the Police to also desist from harassing and flogging traders as well as travellers who come to the city to do business.