Ho market women threaten demonstration over state of market

Market women in the Ho Central Market are planning to demonstrate in protest over what they claimed was the “bad” state of the market. The demonstration, to be held possibly on a market day, would include men who also do business in the market. Madam Evelyn Okang, the Acting Market Queen, said this when Mama Attratoh II, Queen of Ho-Dome, toured the market to have first hand information on the state of the market. Madam Okang said the market was without a toilet, a warehouse, potable water and security lights, amenities the Ho Municipal Assembly had kept promising to deliver for which they could not wait any longer. She said at the moment, people defecate in the empty shades in the market and goods were pilfered at night due to the absence of security lights. Madam Okang threatened that they (the traders) in the market might have to take over the market from the Municipal Assembly to manage. “For over a decade, we have been living with the promise and fail, promise and fail style of the authorities, but now we can’t take it any longer. We will have to cry loud for the world to hear us,” Madam Okang said. She said leadership of the market managed to construct pavement all over the market to the tune of over 10,000 Ghana cedis but the Assembly is yet to refund the amount and that the time had come for them to act. Madam Okang also complained about the Assembly’s inability to compel traders selling on pavements and fringes of the market including around rubbish dumps to move into the market, a situation which was making the market ungovernable. Mama Attratoh appealed to the traders to exercise restrain while she liaised with the Regional Police Command to ensure discipline and order at the market. Mamaga Akua Dei II, Paramount Queen of Asogli Traditional Area who was later briefed about the state of the market, described the situation as worrying and appealed to stakeholders to do something about the market before “night falls.” “We hope the government will act promptly to rebuild the market in time to befit the status of a regional capital,” she said. When contacted Mr Isaac Kodobisah, Ho Municipal Chief Executive, said a demonstration was uncalled for because all the challenges outlined were captured for redress this year. “They are our very priorities and as I’m speaking to you, we are signing a memorandum of understanding this month under the Ghana Urban Management Project for the reconstruction of the market,” he said. “We are on top of the situation just that money is not available for us to do everything at a go,” he said.