MORE SHOPS SPRING UP IN TAMALE (DAILY GRAPHIC, SATURDAY, JUNE 6)

THE Tamale Metropolis has gradually turned into a city of shops. Stores and stalls are dotted at every nook and cranny of the metropolis. Metal containers and kiosks are springing up at almost every available space.
Pavements and bicycle lanes at the Central Business District have been taken over by traders thus obstructing free flow of human traffic and riders.
At the backyard of the Ghana Telecom Offices near the central market, vegetable sellers and beggars have ‘‘seized’’ the railings and pavement, forcing pedestrians to compete with motorists on the very busy and narrow road.
The traders have also succeeded in taking over the car park outside the Kaladan Park and its immediate vicinity and the Aboabo Lorry station. The practices of some of the traders leave much to be desired as it is greatly contributing to the unsanitary conditions in the metropolis.
Tenants living in houses close to streets often bear the brunt of their landlords for no any apparent reason but that, they want to turn those rooms into offices or stores that could attract higher rent.
The two major central and Aboabo markets are all congested with iterant traders taking over the pavements and all available space inside the markets.
It is for these reasons that some residents have appealed to the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly to act quickly to ensure sanity in the markets and entire metropolis.
“The recent fire outbreaks in Kumasi and Accra should serve as a big lesson to the authorities that if nothing is done about the growing menace, we may one day experience a worse disaster when there is an outbreak of fire,” Musah Iddi cautioned.
He further urged personnel of the fire service to embark on fire auditing of the markets in the city to map out strategies to contain any possible disaster.
‘‘I am offering those suggesting in good faith as it is always better to be proactive than to be overwhelmed by events,’’ he indicated.
A banker, Mohammed Hamid also entreated the new Mayor, Alhaji Abdulai Friday to hit the ground running to ensure that the beautifully laid down roads are cleared of all unauthorized structures including some washing bays that openly wash cars along the shoulders of the roads without “any shame that the chippings and asphalt are being washed away.”