Coronavirus: MCE orders closure of Suame market as traders storm market

The Municipal Chief Executive of Suame Assembly, Dr. John Osei Bobie this morning ordered the immediate lockdown of the Suame market in Kumasi.

His order came after hundreds of traders showed up at the market this morning to engage in trading activities despite an earlier arrangement to ensure social distancing in the market.

Following the partial lockdown directive by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to check the spread of Coronavirus in Ghana, authorities in affected areas like the Greater Accra, Greater Kumasi, and Kasoa have been making arrangements to ensure providers of essential services are able to work.

The exemptions included market women who sell food and food commodities with arrangements made to ensure social distancing in markets during the lockdown period.

However, this morning when the MCE went to the market, he was greeted with scenes of an overcrowded market with people earnestly engaged in trading activities.

Dr Osei Bobie who was unhappy with the situation ordered some military officers to ensure the immediate lockdown of the market.

He indicated that even though the assembly had made arrangements to ensure only a limited number of traders had access to the market, the traders ended up flouting the arrangement thereby putting themselves and others at risk of contracting the deadly coronavirus.