Ho Market women react to delay of project

Traders at the Ho Central Market reacted angrily when they were informed that their expectation for the official signing of the contract Monday to pave way for renovation of the market was borne out of miscommunication.

The traders said officials of the Assembly had informed them that the Assembly was going to officially sign the contract on Monday for work to begin on the project only to be told by Mrs Fafa Adinyira, Ho Municipal Chief Executive, that the meeting was only to introduce the contractors to the site.

The traders said they had been expecting the final signing ceremony for work to begin on the project long ago and could not contain another failed promise.

They said they were not convinced with the assurance that work would begin soon after President John Dramani Mahama had cut the sod.

A grant of GH¢8.5 million from the French Agency for Development – AFD is to go into financing the re-construction of an ultra-modern Ho Central market, with state-of-the-art facilities including a clinic, police station, fire station and a warehouse.

The project, under the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Project (GUMPP) is being piloted in Tamale, Sekondi-Takoradi, Kumasi and Ho.

The traders have on a number of times threatened to demonstrate over the delay in the commencement of the project.

They chastised the Assembly for failing to fulfill its promise of providing toilet, water and lighting system at a temporary site to facilitate the start of work on the main market.

The market women consequently heckled the MCE for refusing to accede to their request to her to visit the temporary site to assess the situation there.

Mrs Christine Darkey, a representative of the Market Queen, said they were confused at the turn of events and did not understand why they were called for the meeting, scheduled for 1000 hours but were delayed until shortly after 1500 hours.

Mrs Florence Sunu, a trader, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that: “We are not against development, but we are not happy some people are only interested in their selfish interests”.

She, therefore, called on the President Mahama to intervene.

Mrs Adinyira later took the team, including officials of Santabaro, Big Omen and Al Adisa, the construction firms, to Sokode and Akrofu where an abattoir and a landfill site would be constructed.