A/R Minister Sets Up Committee For Allocation Of Kejetia Phase II

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon Simon Osei-Mensah says a 10-member committee has been established to supervise the allotment of shops in the under-construction second Phase of the Kejetia Redevelopment Project.

The committee, he said, is headed by the Internal Regional Auditor, Sheila Arthur.

He disclosed this to the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

As part of its mandate, the committee will validate registered traders who were displaced to pave the way for the project as well as beneficiaries of Phase I.

But the committee, having set the ball rolling, is confronted with the challenge of accessing the original list of beneficiaries.

“The challenge we are confronted with is that, one Dr Adu who has in his care the software containing names of the beneficiaries has refused to release it to us.”

He said the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) owes him and thus his decision to withhold the softcopy.

“We need the original list which is in the form of softcopy. We cannot only depend on the printout. We would like to compare both.”

Background
At the last meeting of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs in December 2022, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, demanded fair distribution of the shops in the second phase of the Kejetia Redevelopment Project, noting that mischief came into play during the distribution of shops in Phase One.

“KMA acted mischievously when it was allocating shops in Kumasi Central Market to registered persons,” he said, adding that the Assembly manipulated figures and a list of the registered traders.

He thus charged the Minister to superintend over the allotment of the shops to traders in Phase Two.

“Monitor the second phase. Make sure registered traders get their shares before you sell any of the shops. I kept silent over the earlier one,” he said.

“If that happens with this one I will put my feet on the ground.”