Traders at the Ho Central Market are accusing the Municipal Assembly of unfair allocation of the yet-to-be completed market stores.
According the Secretary of the Ho Market Women’s Association, Ben Adjinor, although the Assembly promised an opportunity for a first choice selection to traders whose sheds were demolished during the construction, the recent allocation by the Assembly saw names of most of their prioritized members missing on the list, and rather dominated with names of individuals who do not work in the market.
“On December 26, the MCE of Ho came to hold a meeting with us concerning the market projects saying they wanted to allocate the stores to the market women, rather the stores have now been allocated to government workers and people who don’t even sell in the market, and the market women didn’t even get the stores for themselves.”
The situation Mr. Ben Adjinor described as an unfair, and called on the Assembly to stick to the initial arrangement and ensure equity in the allocation of the Market stores.
“Surprisingly, what the MCE promised us is not what she did. There is going to be chaos in the market if the committee and the MCE do not refund the people’s money and stop the sharing of the stores. We would not agree to their fictitious allocations since we the executives were not regarded in the process before decisions were taken.”
In an interview with Citi News, the Municipal Chief Executive, Madam Fafa Adinyira, denied any foul play in the allocation of the stores.
According to her, although the Assembly was faced with a challenge of satisfying the various interest groups including owners of stores whose structures were demolished during construction, the traditional authority, the traders in the market and assembly members of the various electoral areas in the municipality, 226 out of the 350 stores were allotted to the traders.
She therefore appealed to the traders to exercise restraint and allow due process prevail.
President John Mahama on May 7, 2012, launched the 40.5 million Euros pilot programme funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD), to improve the living conditions in urban areas for the inhabitants of the four selected cities of Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale and Ho.
The market is 80% complete, and the traders say they were being charged an average cost of Ghc1000 for the lease of each store for six months.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
