TaMA to decongest Tamale Central Market

A section of the market

THE Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) is to demolish structures that have blocked pathways in the Tamale Central Market as part of efforts to decongest the market.

This is to reduce the congestion in the market and also allow for easy passage of all vehicles, especially a fire tender in the event of a fire.

Over the past few days, there have been announcements on radio warning traders who have impeded on the right of way in the market to evacuate before the end of May.

On Monday, the Co-ordinating Director, Alhaji Shehu Kadri and other members of the assembly toured the market to assess the situation and also prepare the minds of the traders for the decongestion exercise planned for next month.

The Tamale Central Market, known widely as the Old Market, was built with wide gates and large passages, big enough for cars and humans to use simultaneously.

Mayor of Tamale, Alhaji H. Friday

However, over the years, the increased business activities in the market has led to the situation where owners of stalls have done extensions in the form of sheds, cages, containers and zinc roofs.

Other market operators have also raised new structures in the middle of these pathways, further reducing the space and making it impossible for vehicles to access the market.

Alhaji Sumani, a stationary dealer in the market told the Daily Graphic that the situation in the market was worrying.

“We have raised our voices on several occasions against the narrowing of space in the market, but the authorities have failed to do anything about it,” he said.

Alhaji Sumani said during the reign of W. W. Zakaria as District Chief Executive, the market was in good condition because he visited the place regularly and “he ensured that even if somebody extended his store by a block, it was removed immediately.”

Aside the lack of access, traders in the market also engage in activities that could lead to fires and this is a source of worry to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

“Some of the women make fire to cook in the market and this is a very dangerous activity which must be stopped,” Ms Veronica Dongbakuro, an Assistant Divisional Officer at the Tamale Metropolitan Fire Office stated in an interview.

She said there was also the need for the Volta River Authority (VRA) to check electrical wirings in the market to ensure there are no dangerous and illegal connections.

The Progressive Traders Association (PTA) of Tamale recently embarked on an advocacy campaign to get the assembly to decongest and rehabilitate the market.

According to the Secretary of the PTA, Mr Thomas Ade, the market needs to be modernised to suit the status of Tamale and also guarantee the safety of the market for the traders.

“Tamale is a big city now and so our markets must reflect this status,” he stated.

He said he was happy that the assembly was heeding to the call by the association and residents for the market to be rehabilitated.

A narrowed section in the market

The Chairman of the Decongestion Task Force of the TaMA, Mr Mohammed Rashid told the Daily Graphic that the assembly had always nurtured plans to decongest the market but had procrastinated due to lack of resources.

He said the recent spate of fire outbreaks in other markets across the country had served as a warning to the TaMA to take some urgent action to avoid similar disasters happening in Tamale.

“There is a local saying that when your friend’s beard is on fire, you should get water close to yours,” he stated, adding that the assembly intends to reorganise the market to ease movement and aid the fight against any disaster that may occur in the market.
(Also published in the Daily Graphic of May 22, 2013, p. 22)