Agbogbloshie onion sellers have gone for a mallam to make sure I don’t see July 1 - Henry Quartey

•He says the government will be forced to relocate the sellers to Adjen Kotoku if they don't make use of the grace period

•He was commended some MPs for their support

Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister has said that nothing will prevent him from relocating onion sellers at Agbogbloshie to Adjen Kotoku in the Ga West Municipality.

Henry Quartey is facing some challenge in moving the traders after the sellers went back on their earlier promise to comply with the minister’s directive.

Speaking in an interview with Net2 TV, Henry Quartey accused the sellers of showing ‘bad fate’ as government is almost through with getting their new place ready for them.

Henry Quartey says he has picked information that the onion sellers have engaged the service of a ‘mallam’ to ensure that he will not be alive by July 1.

He however assured that God will make him live to see beyond the deadline and see through his ambition of making Accra great again. He hinted that the force could be applied if the sellers remain adamant with their resolve not to move.

“I’m counting the days, on the first of July whether they like it or not, we’ll move them. I have heard that they’ve gone for a certain mallam that I will never live to see the first of July but they lie bad. The mallam should go back because God exists and nothing will happen to me and by the first of July, We will move them,” he said.

He explained that extensive stakeholder consultations were done before he finally issued the six-months ultimatum.

The Member of Parliament for Ayawaso Central said that the initial resistance from some MPs has been removed and he now has the backing of the house to carry out the relocation exercise.

“Is it fair that we will use the taxpayers’ money to prepare a place for people who will not move for sixteen years? It is not fair. It’s not like we are forcing them and not given them ample time to move. We’ve prepared a place and given them the background.

“We have engaged them and went to Adjen Kotoku with them to meet the chiefs. We gave them a place but the rejected but the Adjen Kotoku chiefs gave us 28 acres of land. They haven’t collected any money from government. We are readying the place for them then out of the blue they said they won’t move again.

“They have showed bad fate because we sat down with them and agreed on everything but they’ve now changed their mind. They’ve gone to Parliament and I have explained everything to the MPs and they agree that it is time for them to move,” he said.