In a recent reports, a recent fire that broke out at the Makola market resulted in the destruction of multiple shops. Over 100 stores, worth millions of cedis, were reportedly damaged by the fire.
Serwaa Amihere, a TV journalist, broke the news on X on October 21, 2023.
But the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), in honour of its 125th anniversary, had ordered all stores, markets, truck terminals, and other businesses in the city to close and take part in a massive clean-up operation aimed at improving the cleanliness and environment of the city.
The clean-up operation, which is set to start at 6 am on Saturday, July 21, and go until 10 am, is also being done in order to get ready for the late Ga Manye, Naa Dedei Omaedru III’s final rites.
The focal areas for the exercise according to the AMA in a statement signed by Head of Public Affairs, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, are the Ga Traditional Council (GTC) stretch of Palace Street and Rev. Thomas Clegg Memorial Methodist Church to Department of Social Welfare stretch of the Nii Asere Ayite Road in the Okaikoi South Sub-Metro, Chorkor (Old Winneba Road), Korle Bu Traffic Light to Mamprobi Post Office (Guggisberg Avenue) in the Ablekuma South Sub-Metro.
Other locations include the Accra General Post Office and its surroundings, the Fire Academy and Training School, Bodey (Cleland Road) through to Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park (John Evans Atta Mills High Street), Odorkor Station on the Asafoatse Nettey Road to Bukom, and Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital on Derby Avenue in the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metro.
In addition, the statement ordered all commercial and other economic activity to cease throughout the time period and urged all locals to organise similar exercises in their neighbourhoods in accordance with the AMA Sanitation, Cleaning, and Communal Labour Bye-laws 2017, which the Environmental Health Officers (Saman Saman) will strictly enforce.
The AMA also announced that public health officers would conduct a deratting exercise at the 31st Makola, Makola Nos. 2, Agbogbloshie, and London Markets in accordance with the Ga Traditional Council’s amended directive on the closure of all shops and markets on Saturday, October 28, 2023, in honour of the late Queen Mother of the Ga State, Naa Dedei Omaedru III.
Mr Ankrah said that it is important to close shops, markets, and lorry terminals in order to make sure that businesses and people in the city are fully involved in the initiative.