Traders in the Ho central market in the Volta region are raising red flag over the allocation of yet-to-be completed shops in the market to persons who do not ply their trade there.
According to the leadership of the traders, a few weeks after the December 7, 2016 elections, officials of the Ho municipal assembly led by the outgoing MCE, Fafa Adinyira, began allocating the about 230 uncompleted shops to undeserving persons at the detriment of traders whose shops were demolished for the project in 2014.
Ben Adjinor, Secretary of the Ho market traders Association, told a press conference on Thursday that, “after the votes [on December 7], on 26th December 2016, the MCE of Ho came to hold a meeting with us concerning the market projects and told us, they want to allocate the stores to the market women.
“Rather the stores have now been allocated to government workers and people who do not even sell in the market, while the market women do not even get any for themselves.”
Mr. Adjinor further noted that a committee formed together with the assembly to oversee the allocation of the new shops upon completion was sidelined by the MCE, who at the start of the project, promised that the traders would be given priority in the reallocation process.
The traders are therefore threatening to stop paying tolls to the assembly, if the current allocation of shops are not immediately halted, to allow for the completion of the project and the subsequent allocations to the rightful beneficiaries.
