Akilu Shaibu Supports Beautification of Tamale

By Edmond Gyebi

Tamale — THE DEPUTY Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Akilu Shaibu, has thrown his weight behind the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Tamale, Iddrisu Musah Superior, in his quest to beautify and transform the metropolis to become one of the leading tourist and investment destinations in Ghana.

He has, therefore, encouraged the Mayor not to be deterred by the usual confrontation, interferences and resistance from a section of the public, in his effort to sanitize or decongest the city.

According to the 2012 NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Tamale North Constituency, "irrespective of what traders are selling, no product can be more important than human life." Adding that, "decongesting Tamale means saving lives and properties".

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle during his maiden working visit to the three regions of the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions, Mr. Akilu Shaibu said that such exercise would attract criticisms and negative comments, but the city authorities must be more focused and resolute to sustain the decongestion exercise.

"Tamale is a beautiful place and it can be more beautiful and attractive to investors or tourists if we change our attitude, respect law and order and support every development efforts, especially now that Tamale is having an international airport".

He appealed to the Chiefs and people to support the decongestion exercise, since several alternative places had been earmarked for traders and hawkers to do their business.

Mr. Akilu Shaibu observed that, the decongestion exercise, if sustained and supported by the chiefs and people, would add to productivity and bring more revenue and development to the area.

The Deputy CEO of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority lamented that no serious investor would want to invest or do business in a chaotic or lawless environment.

He said that he had already seen the good intention of the Tamale Mayor and thus offered his unwavering support as a native of the area, and thus appealed to the chiefs, police and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly Taskforce to ensure that the exercise was sustained.

The Tamale Mayor has since his assumption of office made his intensions clear to bring the deteriorated city back on track.

He recently announced his plans to ensure proper sanitation within the metropolis especially in the central business district, arrest and confinement of stray animals, relocation of hawkers and unauthorized containers and kiosks along major and ceremonial streets among others.

The Mayor said that the Tamale metropolis cannot continue to condone lawlessness and indiscipline, especially among the youth and hawkers at the expense of the socio-economic growth of the city.

Hundreds of traders who occupied the main streets, bicycle lanes, pavements and other pedestrian walkways in the Central Business District of Tamale were chased away by the Mayor and his Taskforce last week May 15, 2017, to ensure free movement of vehicles and human beings.

Meanwhile, several prominent personalities including all the chiefs, political leaders and other individuals have hailed the Mayor of Tamale for his bold decision to decongest the city.

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