The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Mayor, Hon. Osei Assibey Antwi has called on the media to be truthful in their reportage in relation to news surrounding the closure of the Kumasi Central Market.

According to him, journalism is about educating and informing the public on why crucial decisions are taken for the inhabitants benefit regardless of whom it may affect.

The KMA Mayor responded to some sellers’ propaganda on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 on the closure of the Kumasi Central Market as a means to deprive them of their daily bread by the government.

Ghana as at Tuesday had recorded 287 COVID-19 cases and effort to avoid the spread of the virus in harmony with government’s directives have been effected by the Kumasi Metropolitan Security Council (METSEC) to prevent further increase hence the modalities for the rotation of the various market groups.

Hon. Osei Assibey Bonsu scolded complaints and recalled that the Assembly since the president’s announcement of the safety measures to help curb the virus, spoke to the stakeholders during his monitoring schedule to educate the people on the social distancing directives yet they refused to comply.

He challenged the media that it is their role to educate sellers on the necessity of the Assembly’s decision to close the market for safety purposes.

“The work of the media is to educate and inform the public. I started the monitoring of the market with you (media) and that makes you witnesses to whatever has transpired here since last week. There is not even a single day you were not with me in the monitoring therefore if they (market women) raise any complaints, I expect you to answer them.

“If we (METSEC) must reply them after all the supervision which they failed to comply, the that means you are failing to do your job. It is time you have to name and shame them,” he said.

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The KMA mayor asserted that the Dr. Mensah market suffered the same fate of closure due after failing to comply by the rules of social distancing in the initial stages and so if Central market have exhibited an upsetting attitude, there is the need to chastise them to help protect lives.

“We had a few challenges on day 1 to day 3 at Dr. Mensah so we had halt marketing activities. Central Market later adopted such mindset and they failed to observe the protocols needed to. Their acts forced us into an emergency meeting with the Eleven Member Committee and the 66 commodity leaders.

“They attested that their members are indeed stubborn in such a time like this so they are ready to support the assembly in any way to help put a stop to dangers posed among them.

“Things are getting out of hand globally and it is our mandate to put things right,” he added.

The Central Market has been closed down to enable the leadership of the various sellers to reorganize their members into groups to trade in turns to reduce congestion in order to observe the social distancing measures aimed at preventing the spread of the virus.