Traders and shoppers at the Agbogbloshie market are lamenting over the filth in the market after Monday’s disinfection exercise.
Although the traders have welcomed the move as essential in Ghana’s fight against COVID-19, they say authorities should have used the market closure to clean up the place.
Citi News‘ Nii Armah Ammah who was there and reported that it was back to business as usual at the Agbogboloshie market a day after, the market, together with over 130 others were shut down to give way for a disinfection exercise.
At 6 am on Tuesday, the market and the streets were already full of people and cars.
For the traders, they are happy things have returned to normal.
“After the disinfection exercise, the rubbish has been collected. Most of our customers are also back”, one trader said.
However, some are questioning the efficacy of Monday’s exercise.
Many of the traders were expecting to see a reduction in the number of rodents at the market but were left disappointed on their arrival at work today.
“We have not seen any change since the exercise. We were rather welcomed by flies and mosquitoes when we came to work. Mice have eaten all my watermelon. However, the exercise was useful,” another noted.
The Agbogboloshie market has gained notoriety for its unsanitary conditions.
As the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) moved through the market to disinfect, it promised to clean up as well.
However, shoppers and traders alike were not impressed because they came to see the same old choked gutters and heaps of rubbish.
“I appreciate what has been done but look at the mess that has been caused. Look at the rubbish that has been left. They promised the whole nation of clearing everything but look at this. Is it that best they can do to fight the Coronavirus?” one man quizzed.
Others said: “the rubbish in the gutter is a lot. Since there was no one at the time of the exercise, they should have assigned people to collect it.”
