The Ga Traditional Council has served notice to the government that it is ‘vehemently opposed’ to the building of a hostel in Accra for head porters, popularly known as kayayei.
The council said it has observed that the construction of the hostel has commenced at Agbogbloshie in Accra Central, hence the call for it to be halted.
A statement signed by King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse and the President of the Ga Traditional Council said that the people behind the project should take it elsewhere.
“The Ga Traditional Council under the leadership of its President, Ga Mantse and the people of The Ga State, remain vehemently opposed to this Project,” the statement reads in part.
The government has started the construction of seven 4-storey hostel facilities in seven municipalities in the Greater Accra Region to accommodate the kayayei.
According to the government, the move, which is one of its major campaign promises, is to give the head porters decent accommodation after the close of work.
Officials of the Ga West Municipal Assembly (GWMA) recently cut sod to begin the construction of one of the seven hostels which is expected to be completed in 18 months.
The beneficiary assemblies are the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (3), and one each at Korle Klottey, Ashaiman, La Nkwantanang and Ayawaso Central.
But the Ga Traditional Council says it has not been consulted and has not granted anyone the authority to site the project on its land.
It is not the only institution to have objected to the construction of the kayayei hostel. The GaDangbe Council has suggested that vocational and technical training institutions be built at the places where the kayayei migrate from, to equip them with skills that will make their lives meaningful.
Source: ANDREAS KAMASAH