Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Dr. Zanetor Agyemang Rawlings, has called on the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to launch a full-scale investigation into alleged land-grabbing at the Abuja CMB market in Accra.

Her demand follows protests by members of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), who insist that land originally designated for a lorry station has been taken over by traders and private developers.

Addressing journalists in Parliament, Dr. Rawlings revealed that she had previously petitioned the Transport Ministry after learning that the land belonged to the Railways Department Authority.

“I was obliged to write a petition to the minister at the time based on this and to ask that the land be secured since we had been informed that it belonged to the railways department,” she explained, adding that she has supporting correspondence to back her case.

The MP stressed the enclave’s strategic role in commerce and food security, noting that much of the food transported into Accra passes through the Abuja CMB market.

“The CMB Abuja enclave is central to Greater Accra’s commercial activity and food chain.

Trucks bringing food from the hinterlands depend on the lorry stations in this area,” she said.

Dr. Rawlings condemned the alleged takeover, warning that it threatened both livelihoods and the city’s food supply chain.

“This is clearly state land and should not be taken over by private individuals, especially when it is unclear who is granting permission,” she asserted.

She urged the Ministry of Transport, under which railway development falls, to provide clarity on the matter, while calling on EOCO to act swiftly.

“A huge part of our informal sector operates in the Abuja CMB enclave. Thousands of market women and hundreds of drivers could lose their livelihoods if this continues, with dire consequences for food security in Accra,” she cautioned.

Dr. Rawlings reminded authorities that during the COVID-19 lockdown, the Abuja CMB market was allowed to operate precisely because of its essential role in the city’s food supply.