Siaw Ampadu, co-Chairman of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association
• Mr Ampadu has said that spare parts dealers at Abossey Okai have not been ejected
• He added government is not forcing a relocation move on the association
• He is also hopeful a spare parts village will be constructed for their operations
Co-chair of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, Siaw Ampadu has denied claims that government is forcing a relocation move down their throat.
According to him, his outfit proposed to government for a new place that will be conducive for their operations.
Speaking to Desmond Frimpong on GhanaWeb’s BizTech programme, Mr Ampadu said their current location is overcrowded causing traffic and making it unconducive for business.
“Government is not making any attempt to relocate us and no government can do that forcefully. Last year Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on us and we requested that he helped us secure a place for our business. Looking at this place there are numerous challenges so we put it before him.
This year, the regional minister came to visit us and we reminded him of the relocation agenda we are pushing. So we proposed Afienya, Dawenya, Nsawam and Amasaman. This news was, however, misconstrued in some media outlets that the spare dealers were being sacked from their current location,” he explained.
Mr Ampadu also indicated that because the place is not well secured, unscrupulous people go around various workshops within the city and pick discarded parts, bring them to Abossey Okai, polish them and re-sell to unsuspecting customers.
“We want the general public to understand that it is the association that is calling for the relocation and not to create any impression that it is the regional minister Henry Quartey that is ejecting us,” he stressed.
The traders have in the last few weeks, accused their leaders of committing to the relocation without their consent. The leaders however insist they consulted the traders.