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Accra Mayor Warns Traders of GH¢10,000 Shop Allocation Scam as Makola Redevelopment Progresses
The Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has inspected ongoing construction on the four-storey 31st December Material Stores redevelopment project at Makola and warned traders against individuals allegedly demanding GH¢10,000 to register their names for shop allocation in the new facility.
The redevelopment will replace the former single-storey material stores with a modern commercial facility designed to accommodate more traders, improve accessibility, and provide additional trading space in one of Accra’s busiest commercial areas.
Accompanied by officials from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), the Mayor inspected the project’s progress, including the foundation and ground-level concrete work, the erected columns, and structural preparations for installing elevators to facilitate movement between the building’s floors.
During an inspection on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the Mayor interacted with workers and stressed the importance of sustaining the momentum of construction to ensure the facility’s early completion.
Addressing traders after the inspection, the Mayor denied that the Assembly had authorized any individual, group, or task force member to collect money from traders for registration or future shop allocation.
He expressed concern over reports that some individuals were demanding GH¢10,000 from traders under the pretext of registering their names for shops in the new facility.
He dismissed the claims as false and urged traders to disregard such demands. He stressed that registering names with the Assembly was entirely free, and explained that neither his office nor the Metropolitan Coordinating Director had approved any arrangement requiring traders to pay to have their names recorded for consideration in the allocation of shops. On temporary trading arrangements, Hon. Allotey reminded the affected traders that their current locations were not permanent and should not be mistaken for an entitlement to the spaces they occupied.
The redevelopment of the 31st December Material Stores follows extensive consultations among the AMA, affected traders, and other stakeholders regarding the relocation of businesses operating within the project area. In July 2026, the Assembly and representatives of the affected traders reached an agreement on temporary relocation arrangements, including the use of designated spaces at Rawlings Park and the Community Centre adjacent to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
Under the agreement, the project’s first phase was to be completed within six months of the traders’ relocation, and existing shop owners were to be given first priority in shop allocation upon completion. The project is part of the Assembly’s broader effort to modernise market infrastructure, address the shortage of designated trading spaces, and reduce the number of traders operating along roadsides and pedestrian walkways.
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