Complete abandoned markets else you’ll reap the repercussions – Kumasi traders to gov’t

The Kumasi Traders Association has issued a warning to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, signaling potential electoral repercussions if abandoned markets across the Ashanti Region remain neglected.

In a unified declaration made public on Monday, 6 May 2024, prominent associations such as the Second-hand Cloth Sellers Association, Santasi Traders Union, Suame Magazine Workers Union, Mamponteng Traders Association, Central Market Traders Association, and the Kumasi Lotto Sellers Association voiced their discontent with the government’s handling of market projects.

The traders in a statement, issued on Monday, 6 May 2024, voiced their concerns regarding challenges they face in conducting business at their current locations.

According to them, currently, there are four markets including: “Krofrom Market, Mamponteng Market, Santasi Market, Phase Two of the Kejetia Market,” left abandoned.

The traders stressed: “Our livelihoods are greatly affected by adverse weather conditions; each rainfall turns our marketplaces into muddy quagmires, while the scorching sun blankets the area in dust, making it difficult for us to operate effectively.”

The traders also expressed disappointment over the lack of progress on the projects in the region deemed as the strong hold of the governing NPP.

They appealed to the Asantehene to intervene in the situation.

They also emphasised that if their demand does not yield any result, with Asanteman Youth Union will join “the five days demonstration by our brothers and sisters of Central Market and second hand cloth sellers to demonstrate against the government”.

They urged the “contractor company to remove all the barricades from the Kejetia second phase projects before we do it by ourselves because we will not think twice to take it off to do our businesses there if our demand did not heard”.