Red Demo To Hit NPP Government In Kumasi Over Stalled Market Project
They were unhappy about the abandoned of the project, fuming that the NPP government has disappointed them hence their current decision to stage five days of continued demonstration to register their displeasure over stalled of Kumasi Central Market Redevelopment Project.
Freeman Koryekpor 
KUMASI Central Market Traders and Second
Hand Clothes Union in the strongest hold of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ashanti region have launched a blistering at government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over the abandonment of Kumasi Central Market Redevelopment Project phase II a year ago.
They were unhappy about the abandoned of the project, fuming that the NPP government has disappointed them hence their current decision to stage five days of continued demonstration to register their displeasure over stalled of Kumasi Central Market Redevelopment Project.
They describe as “lies” information given to them when the project stalled last year – that the project has gotten to a stage where metals were being installed among other things; but with time that has proved not to be the case.
“When we saw the project stalling last year in January, we spoke about it and we were lied to. They told us initially that they were doing metal works, and with time we have all come to know how the lies have been exposed. We are not going to ask again what has been happening; what we are saying is that we are demanding that it is done for us. We have also thought about what we are going to do.”
The traders insisted that their concerns are valid, because they are not just stakeholders but will be beneficiaries of the market edifice when completed for commercial use.
The traders were relocated from the market for its reconstruction in 2022; but unfortunately, as of January 2023 the contractor on the project left the site and has since not resumed work.
"We, the Kumasi Central Market Traders and second hand clothes Union in the strongest hold of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ashanti region, would like to express our utmost disappointment in the government for abandoning the Kumasi Central Market Redevelopment Project," the traders noted in a press statement copied to Soireenews.com.
According to the traders, during the evacuation exercise to pave the way for the commencement of the project, the NPP government led by Nana Akufo-Addo made them believe that the project would be completed on time to enable them to return to their business.
However, in December 2022, they complained that the project came to a halt for unknown reasons when the Brazilian Construction Firm, Contracta, suddenly sacked all its workers, leaving the skeleton of the structure on the site.
"Our quest to find out was brought to our attention by the government, that the project was halted due to the Debt Restructuring Programme, and that work will be resumed when the first tranche of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) money hit the accounts of the government.
"We patiently waited and despite the first and the second tranches hitting the government account, work has still not resumed, leaving the project to the mercy of the weather," the traders noted.
Currently, they narrated that weeds and reptiles have taken over the project site as they struggled to get a place to ply our trade.
"It has come to our notice that many projects in other regions have begun and others completed after the first and second tranches of the IMF money hit the government account, but the NPP government has remained unconcerned and turned its back on the region that gives them power and has abandoned our market
"We feel utterly disappointed in the NPP government for ignoring and neglecting such a huge market complex that feeds many traders who have but only depend on market business to make ends meet.
"Many of our members who were evacuated from the market are still at home suffering because they do not have anywhere to ply their trade while others have taken over the streets of the Central Business District in an attempt to make ends meet under the scorching sun," they complained
The traders therefore, exhausted their patience and have resolved to embark on five days of continued demonstrations to press home their demand for work to resume on the project.
During the protest, the traders stressed that they will picket and remove all the barricades on the project, and after the days of demonstrations and nothing is being heard, we will storm the incomplete market site with our goods and commodities to trade and nothing can stop us.
"It is worthy of note that we are currently in talks with the Ghana Police Service, to secure permission to embark on the demonstration as permitted by Article 21(1d) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
"We are, therefore, sending a signal to the NPP government that we, the traders in the Ashanti region are vigilant this time round, and they cannot fool or deceive us and later come back to canvas for our votes as the December general elections are approaching," the traders stressed
The traders argued that NPP government must better do the needful before the day of reckoning comes.
