The woes of market women who once traded within the Salaga Market in Accra may soon come to an end as the promised reconstruction works at the old site are scheduled for completion this December.
This is according to the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Mohammed Adjei Sowah.
The Salaga Market has been in the news for having been abandoned, three years after structures there were demolished. A groundbreaking ceremony had already been held by the previous Mahama-led government for refurbishment works to begin.
Speaking to Bernard Avle on the Citi Breakfast Show, the Accra Mayor among other things attributed the delay in undertaking the project on procurement challenges.
“What we have done currently is that we have engaged the Coastal Development Authority and they have decided to put their money into the reconstruction. The contract has already been awarded but unfortunately, the PPA delayed a bit. However, we have begun clearing the site for the reconstruction. We are anticipating that the project will be done by the end of the year. That is the assurance I have gotten from the contractor.”
Three years after sod-cutting, the Salaga market has seen no facelift.
The market is still in a dilapidated state and the traders there are calling on the government to do something about it.
Traders have been forced to operate along the streets of the old market. They are thus appealing for construction to begin, as the current state of affairs is creating a lot of inconveniences which affect their business.
This has created heavy vehicular traffic with gutters surrounding the market getting choked with the slightest downpour.
Some portions of the ruins at the old site are being occupied by churches, while others are serving as a hideout for drug peddlers and other recalcitrant individuals.
Initially, the agreement towards the construction of the ultra-modern Salaga Market was fraught with conflict of interest and diverse challenges that barred the AMA from embarking on the project.
The Salaga Market is one of the major markets within the Accra Metropolis which accommodates over 400 traders, and it is estimated that the proposed ultra-modern market would accommodate about a thousand traders upon completion.
This is expected to increase the revenue generation base of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.