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Kantamanto traders head to court
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- Category: Special Reports
- Created on Tuesday, 07 May 2013 00:00
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Kantamanto traders head to court
The battle over the ownership of the burnt Kantamanto market here in Accra may have to be decided by a court.Traders at the burnt market are preparing to go to court to stop government and city authorities from taking over the market.
The traders first want an injunction placed on the land to prevent any development until a final ruling.
Accra Mayor Alfred Vanderpuje announced at a news conference yesterday government will start reconstruction of the market in July.
B
ut the traders are not happy with the decision. The Chief Patron of the Used Clothing Association of Ghana Charles Allen-Gyimah the AMA has arbitrarily taken the decision to reconstruct the market without seeking the opinion of the traders.
He said instead of dialoguing with the aggrieved traders on the way forward they are rather throwing tear gas on wailing traders.
One of the traders whose shop was burnt in last Sunday’s devastating fire has produced documents that claim the land was leased to her mother by the Railway Corporation for 21 years.
He is therefore challenging the AMA’s claim of ownership of the Kantamanto land.
On condition of anonymity, he told Joy News’ Jefferson Sackey I know I am not a lawyer but I wanted to know that if a place has been leased to somebody can the AMA go there to build a market,” he asked.
He says he has documents to prove that the land was leased to them and that they pay annual rent allowances to the Railway Corporation.
He added that the AMA cannot take possession of a land that does not belong to them.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff and other government officials have been meeting with leaders of the Kantamanto traders at the Flagstaff house.
After the meeting, Multi TV's presidential correspondent Gifty Andoh reported government as saying it has no intention to take the land away from traders.
Deputy Information Minister, Felix Kwakye-Ofosu who briefed the journalists after the meeting also said government will liaise with the aggrieved traders to find an amicable solution to the problem.
From: Joy News|Myjoyonline.com
