Livestock traders operating along the Kanda Highway in Accra are defending their presence at the busy roadside market despite growing pressure from Parliament and sector agencies to dismantle the enclave over sanitation and urban‑planning concerns.
The traders insist that the absence of a designated livestock market within the municipality has left them with no choice, especially during the peak Eid season when demand for animals surges.
Speaking to Channel One News, trader Abdul Jalal Moomin said communities such as Mamobi lack proper facilities, forcing them to operate in makeshift spaces.
“We don’t have anywhere like how Ashaiman has. Here in Mamobi, we don’t have that, so we are also trying to at least send something home. I hope by next year we will find a better place,” he said.
Another trader, Murtala Beere, appealed for understanding from authorities, stressing that their operations are seasonal and short‑lived.
“The government should understand us a little because we don’t always come to the street to sell. We only do this for just two weeks in the year,” he noted.
Their concerns follow a call by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for the Greater Accra Regional Minister to urgently intervene and either shut down or relocate the livestock market near the National Mosque at Kanda.
The Committee argues that the growing activity in the area is undermining sanitation, disrupting traffic flow, and clashing with Accra’s broader urban‑development plans.
Vice Chairman of the Committee and MP for Mpraeso, Davis Opoku Ansah, described the situation as worrying and urged swift action to restore order.
PAC has recommended that city authorities either relocate the traders or dismantle the market entirely to safeguard environmental and planning standards in the capital.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has directed all temporary livestock markets operating without the required permits to cease operations and remove their structures after the Eid festivities.
—CitiNewsroom
