The Combined Kumasi Central Market Traders Union (CKCMTU) has threatened to demonstrate against the government over the stalled Kumasi market redevelopment project.
Phase one of the market construction, which is now the Kejetia City Market, was completed in December 2018.
Following the completion of phase one, the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, on December 19, 2018, awarded the contract for the project’s second phase, comprising the redevelopment and modernisation of the Kumasi Central Market for 48 months.
However, the market has not been completed.
According to the union, the livelihood of some of its members is currently at stake due to the delay in completing the project.
They indicated that some members who could not afford to put up containers at their new location at Race Course are still at home waiting on the project.
Addressing a press conference in Kumasi on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, members lamented the slow progress of the project.
“After December 2022, we have observed that things have come to a halt. No work is going on at the site, as observed in the past few months. From January 2023 to March 2023, as we talk, we have been told that the workforce on the site has been drastically reduced, and this information is coming to us from a very reliable source,” the secretary of the union, Ms Emelia Koffie, said.
“Why is the government, which has decided to do phase two of the new construction, not working on it? Do we, as stakeholders, not deserve to be told? Don’t we deserve to get an explanation for why the market has been halted?” the secretary quizzed.
Therefore, they called on the government to continue work as soon as possible.
They also threatened that if they did not get favourable answers from the government, they would embark on a series of demonstrations in the city.
“We do not want to organise demonstrations, but if we do not hear from the people who should be responsible for this as soon as possible, we have done it before we can do it again.
“We will organise a series of demonstrations to send our grievances to the government. If they want to see that, we will get that done. We will turn the city over. We will turn the region over. We will turn the nation over if that is what it will take to get them to answer us,” Ms Koffie added.