The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, has been praised by a group of people who could easily pass as his most ardent critics in the last few weeks.
The relocated Agbogbloshie onion traders at a meeting with the minister on Monday, July 5, at their new trading center at Adjen Kotoku, heaped praise on the Minister, who their representative described as ‘their father’ and ‘a man of his words.’
Quartey tweeted a short video of their meeting with the caption, “Finally, our onion sellers are happy with their relocation.”
In the said video, a representative of the traders is heard saying:
“I don’t know what to say, I can only give thanks to God. We cannot say too much, we can only thank our father (the Minister). Our father, if he stands firm to do something, he will do it.
“Everything we have appealed to him, we are sure he will fulfill it. He insisted we come and we are here, hoping to get the blessings of this relocation. We never thought this would ever happen.
“So please, honourable, you already know the work at stake. It is not for us to teach you. Please help us with street lights you have started work on and we know as a ‘doer’ you will complete it, we thank you and all your lieutenants.”
The Minister’s ‘Make Accra Work Again’ which started with rigid decongestion exercises in major parts of the Central Business District (CBD) reached the Agbogbloshie market where he vowed to relocate the ‘powerful’ onion traders.
The move met heavy resistance but the minister expressly rejected any further postponement beyond his July 1 deadline for relocation.
Onion trucks were banned from entering the CBD and eventually, the traders reluctantly moved to the new location.
Henry Quartey has been praised for his ceaseless efforts to transform the face of the capital.