Accra mayor orders end to hawking under Kwame Nkrumah interchange

The Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has ordered an immediate halt to hawking, trading and other unauthorised activities beneath the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, warning that offenders will face prosecution.

The directive was issued during a working visit to the Okaikoi South Sub-Metropolitan District, where the mayor led officials from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly on inspections focused on sanitation, building permits and compliance with local by-laws.

As part of the operation, assembly officers cleared food vendors, beggars and people sleeping beneath sections of the interchange.

Mr Allotey said the city authorities would no longer permit the area to be used for trading, food vending, sleeping or any other unauthorised activity, insisting that the space must remain clean, safe and accessible.

He warned that anyone found engaging in illegal activities under the interchange would be prosecuted, describing the exercise as part of a wider campaign to improve sanitation and enforce public order across the capital.

The operation also involved the removal of makeshift structures and other unauthorised installations that officials said had contributed to unsanitary conditions and created safety concerns for motorists and pedestrians.

Earlier, the mayor led a separate exercise to demolish illegal wooden

structures along Otublohum Road near the Circle VVIP Station.

According to the mayor, such developments contribute to congestion, poor sanitation and the obstruction of public spaces. He said the assembly would continue to take action against unauthorised construction and occupation of public land.

Mr Allotey also directed operators of drinking spots, managers of the VVIP Station and cattle owners along Otublohum Road to clear silted drains within 24 hours or face sanctions.

The mayor said the Accra Metropolitan Assembly remained committed to enforcing regulations on sanitation, development control and public order, and called on residents, traders and businesses to support efforts to keep the city clean and orderly.