The Greater Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey has ordered the suspension of a housing project for head potters popularly known as ‘kayayei’ at the Mallam Atta market.

This comes after some traders held a demonstration on Tuesday at the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly against the construction of the building.

The protesting traders argue that the site is meant for the construction of a school building that has been in existence since Acheampong’s time.

But after meeting the traders, the Regional Minister assured that the project will be put on hold.


“I heard about the demonstration over your concerns, so I came to enquire from authorities what the problem is. Per the engagements with the MCE, we will suspend the project, so traders can go about their business activities. However, traders should pay their market tolls so that the assembly is able to carry out its mandate in terms of developmental works”.

The Minister was however quick to add that the traders risk being removed if they are unable to keep the market zone clean.

“I urge you to prioritize sanitation in the market, failure to do so will mean personally evicting you from the enclave”, he cautioned.

The government has begun constructing the 600-bed kayayei hostel facility as an implementation of a campaign promise made by President Akufo-Addo before he was voted into power in 2016.

According to him, the intention to build the facility was to provide decent accommodation to the kayayei and save them from sleeping under perilous living conditions.

Many critics including former President John Mahama, the then President, described Akufo-Addo’s promise as insulting and asked him to find a better way of alleviating the hardships of the head potters.

Recently, the Ga Dangme Council also opposed the proposed construction.

The council believes the project is an affront to development and living standards in Accra because the land earmarked for the project is for the construction of a recreational facility and cannot be used to re-settle non-indigenes when there are Ga indigenes without homes in the capital city.

In essence, the council wants the Kayayei hostel project to be abandoned so that they can be given vocation and technical skills in the regions from which they migrate rather than moving to the south for jobs that do not exist.

Source: citifmonline