Amid the ongoing decongestion exercise in Accra’s Central Business District, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has shown a compassionate side that won the hearts of many.

On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, during the decongestion exercise in the bustling Tudu market—just minutes from the AMA head office—the Mayor was moved by the plight of a 71-year-old woman selling her goods on a pavement.

In an unexpected act of kindness, he gifted her GHC1,000 and gently urged her to relocate her wares to a more suitable location off the street.

The gesture was met with loud cheers and applause from nearby traders and hawkers, who were visibly touched by the mayor’s empathy during a period of significant upheaval for many street vendors.

The decongestion operation, carried out by the AMA in partnership with the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, aims to restore order and improve sanitation in Accra.

Target areas include Kinbu Road to Railways, ECG Junction to the King Tackie Tawiah Statue, and Opera Square to Adabraka.

While the exercise has received praise from pedestrians, motorists, and some formal traders for making the city more navigable and hygienic, it has also stirred concern among informal vendors facing displacement.

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