Kumasi: Market women at the Santasi Market in Kumasi have staged a peaceful protest over the alleged sale of newly constructed market shops to individuals they describe as strangers. They have therefore called on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to intervene and ensure fairness in the allocation process.
According to Ghana News Agency, the demonstrators, many of whom have operated at the market for several years, say they were displaced nearly two years ago to allow for redevelopment of the facility. Assurances were given that they would be the first to occupy the newly built shops once construction was completed. However, the traders now claim that the contractor in charge of the project had begun selling the shops at prices as high as GHS350,000 each, without engaging or prioritising the original occupants.
'We have been selling under the scorching sun and rain for over two years, waiting patiently for the completion of the new market. Now, we are being told the shops are being sold to outsiders,' one of the protestors lamented. The group is calling on the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and its Chief Executive, Mr. Richard Ofori Agyemang, to intervene. They are also appealing to the Santasi Sasaamohene to help halt the sales and ensure a fair and transparent reallocation process.
Nana Ama Frah, the Queen Mother of the market, expressed concern about the lack of communication and stakeholder engagement throughout the redevelopment process. 'We are not against development. But how can you build a market for us and then sell it to outsiders at prices we cannot afford?' she questioned and appealed to the Asantehene to step in to ensure fairness. The traders insisted that their loyalty and long-standing service to the market community should be recognised and respected in the distribution of the new shops.
They urged traditional and municipal authorities to swiftly address the issue to prevent further tension and unrest. The protest ended peacefully, but the market women maintained that they would continue to push for justice until their concerns were addressed.
