The deputy minister-designate for local government, chieftaincy and religious affairs, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, has expressed strong opposition to the operations of city guards, popularly known as “Abayee”, in handling street vendors, particularly women.
Speaking on the issue during her vetting on February 28, 2025, she described it as disheartening to see traders being chased off the streets, sometimes losing their wares in the process.
According to her, selling is not a crime, but there should be clear guidelines on where vendors can operate.
“It’s so disheartening to see our women being chased with their wares, and sometimes their goods are taken away, leaving them clueless about their whereabouts. It’s no crime to sell, but there need to be guidelines as to where they should carry out their activities,” she stated.
Addressing the situation in Accra, she proposed a more structured approach to regulating street trading instead of forceful evictions.
“I’m in Accra, so I will speak for Accra. We need to advise traders. We can give them the freedom to sell maybe two days a week while ensuring they obey the law, so it doesn’t seem like they are being chased away. Or perhaps, we allow them to sell for two hours a day and then ask them to move inside the market for the rest of the hours,” she suggested.
She firmly opposed the use of “Abayee” to regulate traders, stressing that a more humane approach should be adopted.
“I do not believe in Abayee,” she concluded.