Kantamanto Land Will Not Be Used To Build Market- Railway Authority

In what appears to be conflicting policy positions expressed by government officials on the future of the Kantanmanto area, the Acting Chief Executive officer of the Railway Authority, Saddiq Alidu has said that the stretch of land cleared after the Kantamanto market fire will be used to build a modern railway station. The Accra Metropolitian Assembly (AMA) in an earlier statement had promised to construct a "mordern market" which will meet accepted standards to prevent future occurrences. Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Alidu however stated that though his outfit was yet to meet with the AMA before concluding on the future of the area, the deveplopment of a railway station was key. �We are yet to meet them [AMA]. We are trying to meet them through the Ministry of Transport so we have alerted the ministry on the need to meet and decide on the future development that can take place on that land. We are going to develop a railway station into a modern station and currently we are looking at constructing the land to Kumasi� we are planning to re-develop the Accra station into a big modern station,� he stated. Spokesperson for the Kantamanto Joint Traders Association, Kakra Mensah however holds a contrary position. �Whether the land belongs to the Railway Authority or AMA, what we know is AMA is mandated by the constitution by virtue of the local government to put up markets and shopping malls so if the Railway Authority has something to do on the land, I don�t think the government will refuse the traders from having their daily bread without proper consultation,� he stated.