Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Titus Glover, has taken swift action to remove all hawkers from the newly-commissioned Flower Pot Interchange in Accra. In a viral video, the minister, dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and grey shorts, was seen confronting the hawkers, including a male banana seller. He then proceeded to flip over a wooden hawking table, stomping on it and breaking its legs.
This action follows public outrage after hawkers returned to the ¢677 million interchange less than 24 hours after it was commissioned by President Akufo-Addo. On Wednesday morning, a photo went viral showing a trader, identified as Sahadatu Seidu, sitting beside a truckload of coconuts beneath the interchange. This came despite a stern warning from Minister Titus-Glover during the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, 19 November, where he cautioned the public against littering, hawking, and erecting kiosks around the area. Shortly after, Sahadatu was joined by other hawkers selling fruits and other items.
The situation has sparked public outcry, with many expressing frustration on social media:
@WITH_BRAHARRY: The country has been turned into a survival-of-the-fittest zone. Everyone is doing what they can in any way to survive. Hawkers have started flooding the new Flowerpot flyover, which was commissioned only yesterday.
@HassanGypsum: "During the commissioning of the Flowerpot Interchange, the Regional Minister made an urgent plea, which sounded like a warning to the hawkers. But it seems Ghanaians don’t listen to their leaders and are fed up. Less than 48 hours after the commission, it’s not funny anymore."
@realNatalieFort: Hawkers at the newly commissioned Flower Pot Interchange! Why? Oh Ghana. MAINTENANCE!
However, the minister’s actions have sparked mixed reactions:
@GhanaSocialUni: Honestly, Ghanaian leaders are the most wicked people on earth. What’s wrong if a hawker sells at the Flowerpot interchange to make some money? Why not educate them on how to clean up the place afterwards, as this is a means of employment for them? Wickedness.
@1quarmyn_Owoo: There are bye-laws that make hawking illegal here in Ghana. About a month ago, the same hawker would have been praising the government and saying there is no hardship. It’s for us all, so we must hold leaders accountable when necessary.
@AHarricks: This is wrong. People need to feed their families. We need to train people to be responsible in our cities, not destroy their property. Hawkers exist all over the world.
@Brensmann: There are so many policemen in town doing less work. Assign some to the place and ensure they get paid for the time they spend there. These are some measures to put in place.
The Flower Pot Interchange, a key infrastructure project, features an 802-metre dual carriageway viaduct, ramps connecting Shiashie and the motorway, pedestrian walkways, streetlights, and new road markings and traffic signals. The project aims to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion in the area.