Ho traders unhappy about allocation of market stalls

The Ho Central Market Traders Association has raised red flag over the allocation of market stalls in the newly constructed market, describing the processes as fraudulent and politically motivated.

They have, therefore, appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), to intervene and ensure that fairness prevailed in the process of allocation.

Addressing a news conference in Ho, yesterday, the Assistant Market Queen of Ho, Madam Christine Fansey, said the traders would be left with no option than to hit the streets if nothing was done about the situation.

“We shall take to the streets naked in a protest against the injustice inflicted on us by the assembly if nothing is done about the situation,” she added.

Madam Fansey said the construction of the new market was at the instance of the association, which had membership of 4,800, in 2012.

She claimed the New Patriotic Party, which was then in opposition, vehemently campaigned against the project, describing it as a ‘ghost project’ aimed at soliciting votes from people.

Madam Fansey said “Now, the assembly has denied us many stalls in the market and rather allocated them on ‘sellers-on-protocol’ basis to affluent entrepreneurs who are not even sellers in the Ho Central Market.”

The Assistant Market Queen sought to know why the ‘Prophets of Doom’ of the Ho Central Market project were now sharing the market stalls to their political party members, families and friends.

According to her, previous engagements between the association and the assembly on the issue yielded no positive results.

“We feel cheated, marginalised and traumatised by this state of affair,” Madam Fansey added.

She said that apart from going naked on the streets, members of the association would also stop paying market tolls if the MLGRD failed to intervene in the matter in five days.

Madam Fansey warned that the unmerited allocation of the markets stalls was set to the turn the Ho Central Market into a white elephant, “because we will not stand aside and look on unconcerned while this happens.”

FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO