About The Situation At Thorpe Road (Books Sellers Avenue)

                            CECILIA AGYEKUM (THORPE ROAD)
“At a very young age I took interest in selling books because of my believe that everyone must be able to achieve their aims in life and one can do that when they are able to read and write. It was for this reason that I took to the trade of selling books here at Thorpe Road. The decision of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to drive us away from this location has come as a shock to us. We appreciate the good work being done by the Assembly but I would at the same time plead with uncle Vanderpuje to take it a little easy. If they claim that selling along this road is not right, we would do as they say .Currently renting a store costs as much as GHC450 a month, and paying this money for a year is no mean joke “

                              ABDUL KARIM (THORPE ROAD)
“ This year has been a little dull and the economy has not been that vibrant. I guess measures are being put in place to make a long term sustainable economy possible. As a people, our only hope is that the men we elect to form a government would put in place measures to bring relief to the teeming masses of the unemployed youth. What is life if as a man you are not able to walk boldly and tell your family you are off to work knowing very well that your labour that day would bring prosperity to your house and country? It was this our loving President promised and I hope he would abide by it and not emulate the others who came before him, massive job creation. He has said that next year would be a year of unprecedented development in the lives of his people and I would wait to see.

                               ABENA GRACE (THORPE ROAD)
“The year has come to an end so soon and we can only pray that the coming one would meet our aspirations. We ask the almighty father to cure our brothers and sisters who are bed ridden with all manner of ailments. It is my hope that the men and women who manage our economies would bring new policies which would be able to solve and address some of the pressing issues in this country. As of now, I have been driven out of work by the AMA .They have issued a directive asking us to stop selling books here at Thorpe Road. My concern is that we have nowhere to go. Others have found a place at the Circle market, but how about us ? ”
                              JONATHAN LOTSU (THORPE ROAD)
“Master, I have decided to talk to you only because I want to give encouragement to fellow Ghanaians.  It has gone well for me particularly this year and I would forever be grateful to my maker. We were all born with different talents and abilities. You don’t emulate what the other person is doing for survival if you do not have what it takes to do that. Don’t measure progress by the deeds of the other person. Look into yourself and ask yourself “what can I do”?  The answer would come naturally from your environment and skills. Gradually the government is bringing hope and offering alternatives to the people. What is needed at this moment in the life of the country is the establishment of industries to accommodate the large numbers of the youth who are unemployed. I have no doubt next year by now we would all have wonderful testimonies to deliver.”
                                 JOYCE MENSAH (THORPE ROAD)
“One thing most people are refusing to understand is that the purchase of books and stationary comes by season. Immediately that season is over you cannot expect to make very huge sales. The authors of the books are also giving us a lot of headache. I believe they have become many and because of this development students have come to prefer books which do not come with significant differences from the other ones on the market. I also wish to draw the attention of the leaders of this country to the fact that a lot of people are suffering. It did not begin today but I believe there is a lot we can do to eradicate poverty from amongst our people. Next year must come with opportunities and massive investment in the people. This would require hard work and dedication on the part of each and every one of us. God willing we shall overcome.”
                            MOHAMMED OFORI (THORPE ROAD)
“My major challenge this year has come from the banks. My brother, what you go through before getting loans these days is very frustrating. They do these things to prevent us for going for the loans. We know the Central Banks have lowered the base rates for them but their interest rates have rather increased. Look at the advertisement they do on TV. They create the impression they serve everybody including the poor in society but that is all a deception. I also want to call on the government to ensure that the unjustified delay in payment of salaries of public sector workers is stopped immediately. It is they who make the market so if they do not have money it affects everyone in the society.”
                          AGNES ACHEAMPONG (THORPE ROAD)
“The secondary school children are coming but they do not know what we have because we are not displaying the books we have for sale. If for whatever reason the AMA feels we would have to leave, they should consider the fact that Thorpe Road has made a name for itself and has became a playground for teachers and students alike. Let me also call on the Finance Ministry to pump more money into the system. Money is the blood of the economy, if it is not there, everything would come to a complete halt and traders would suffer. We hope next year would come with renewed strength and confidence. I wish all students Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. They should not give their parents unnecessary troubles as they are coming home.
                            KWABENA AGYEKUM (THORPE ROAD)

“The nature of our work is that the month of September is the cocoa season for book sellers here at Thorpe Road. As an individual it wasn’t all of my expectations that were met this year. However it is my believe that because there is life, there would always be hope and prosperity may also follow. Quiet a good number of government workers who are our customers have not patronized us as they used to do but we would pray that the situation does not remain the same. I ask for God’s blessings and guidance for each and everyone. Let’s pray for a good start and a successful ending”

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