The 11-member Committee set up to validate and verify traders at the Kejetia redevelopment project has said it is carrying out a validation and verification exercise, and not allocating shops.
The Committee has resumed the exercise after the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) temporarily suspended it to review and discuss challenges from the initial roll out, to enable them develop strategies to overcome them.
The Committee has asked traders to comply with the process and allow only persons who are qualified to validate and verify their details to do so.
Chairman of the Committee, Amoamanhene Nana Agyenim Boateng, said some landlords/ladies are making the work of the Committee a difficult one.
He maintained that the original tenants have the first right of possession when the allocation of the shops is due.
“What we have identified and also heard is that, there are some landlords who with the greatest of respect are trying to make our work difficult. When I say so what I mean is that, what we had to do was that we has 446 outlets, these outlets we have them as defined shops, and now we want to identify the owners and the tenants. The challenge we have come across is that, some of them though are owners, they don’t have any title to the property. Notwithstanding, we are looking at it that what is the level of possession? So long as one can identify and say that Mr. X was always coming to KMA we take you now as an owner, but only that you need to have some proof. We are doing verification and validation and not allocation”, he explained.
The Amoamanhene said the committee has noticed that some persons have taken advantage of the absence of original tenants and brought in their relatives to register them as tenants.
He warned that “in the course of time, when we are doing the regularization, these things will come out and we will flush them out.”
He indicated that it will be difficult for persons to infiltrate through the system once they are not the original tenants of the shops.
The committee has so far validated and verified 908 traders since it began the exercise.
The committee is chaired by the Amoamanhene, Nana Agyenim Boateng.
Other members include Ohene Owusu Afriyie, Apagyahene representing the Kumasi Traditional Council, Alexander Sarfo Kessie, Convener for Trade and Industry Sub-committee(KMA), Miss Juliana Nsiah, Estate Department, KMA; Nana Yaa Foriwaa, Market Queen, Kumasi Central Market, Mr. Elvis Owusu, representing Kejetia Occupants Association, Nana Brasiamah, Regional GPRTU Chairman, Madam Theresa Osei Tutu, of AvanGuard Design Services and Miss Yvonne Naboo, Deputy Director, KMA (Member/Secretary).
Meanwhile, the KMA has said that the about 108 shop owners who were not available when the KMA registered the traders in 2015, will be allowed to register in this exercise.
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By: Hafiz Tijani/citinewsroom.com/Ghana