KMA takes over terminal amid tight security

There was tight security at the Kejetia bus terminal last Monday when the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) formally took over the management of the facility from Freko FD Limited.

A combined team of policemen and military personnel, supported by city guards, took position at vantage points at the vast terminal, while officials of the KMA took absolute control of matters, as some traders, mostly women who ply their trade in the area, jubilated over the takeover.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the KMA, Mr Godwin Okumah-Nyame, explained that the presence of the security men was to ensure that the takeover did not result in any disturbances and assured the public that the measure was temporary.

While some of the traders were seen jubilating, others who had not got wind of the change in management were left confused when different revenue collectors approached them to collect levy from them.

Even as the KMA established its strong presence at the terminal, the Managing Director of Freko FD, Madam Freda Darko, gave strong indications that the company was heading to court to battle what she described as the illegal takeover.

She told the Daily Graphic that the company’s lawyers had already been informed about the development and expressed the hope that the law would take its course.

None of the over 300 workers of Freko FD was present and KMA officials went about their duties without any problems at all.

The take-over letter

The KMA, in a letter to the MD of Freko FD dated November 8, 2013, had said the assembly was taking over the terminal from the company with immediate effect because it was dissatisfied with the manner Freko FD had managed the facility.

Signed by KMA Chief Executive, Mr Kojo Bonsu, the letter accused Freko FD of mismanagement and mentioned the insanitary conditions in the area as one of the reasons.

It also said the company was not transparent in the management of the finances of the terminal.

It said breaches of the agreement reached between the company and KMA were too many and that they provided strong grounds for the assembly to take over the terminal.

The Kejetia terminal is seen as the heart of Kumasi. Its central location in the city makes it accessible to vehicles coming from other parts of the city and the rest of the country.

Busiest spot in West Africa

In 1999, the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) conducted a study which revealed the area as the single busiest spot in West Africa.

The study indicated that 13,000 people shuttled between the Kejetia terminal and the Mampong road, with an additional 18,000 crossing over from the terminal to the nearby central market.

Currently, an estimated 10,000 vehicles and 800,000 people use the terminal, widely regarded as the biggest in West Africa, on daily basis.

Revenue

It is one of the major sources of revenue for the assembly but the KMA says it is yet to fully reap the expected revenue.

The KMA had indicated that it would no longer run the terminal on public-private partnership, as that arrangement had not helped the assembly and the city of Kumasi in any way.

According to the KMA PRO, even though the agreement reached between the KMA and Freko FD stipulated that the company should set aside three per cent of the revenue derived from the facility for maintenance, the company failed to comply with that.

In 2002, the KMA, with Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah as the Chief Executive, awarded the Kejetia management contract to Freko FD.