The Newly Kotokuraba market
President John Dramani Mahama commissioned the $30 million Oguaa Kotokuraba Market at a colorful ceremony held at Cape Coast in the Central Region yesterday.
The ultramodern market comprises 246 lockable stores, 496 shell stores, 26 supermarkets, two banks, a restaurant, 14 office blocks, a clinic and nursery school, car parks, fire station and post office, warehouse and cold store.
The project, which started in December 2014, was completed in 14 months.
Inaugurating the market, President Mahama said government contracted a loan from the Chinese Government to construct the project, hence the need for all to take very good care of the facility.
President Mahama called on the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) to ensure that the old occupants of the market get stores at the market before they can share the rest to other traders.
He stated that the market would help boost economic activities in the area, adding that the project was very dear to the heart of former President John Evans Atta Mills.
The Paramount Chief of Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta, appealed to the traders to take very good care of the project to benefit more people in the area.
He noted that the Traditional Council and the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly would monitor the traders, adding that traders who would not take good care of the stores would lose them.
It would be recalled that the demolition of the old Kotokuraba Market created a lot of controversy which compelled eight traders to drag CCMA to court.
The exercise, which was initially scheduled for October 1, 2014, did not come on due to an interlocutory injunction by a Cape Coast High Court, presided over by Justice Kwesi Dapaah.
In September 24, 2014, concerned traders at Kotokuraba Market filed a motion of stay of execution to stop the demolition of the market scheduled for October 1, 2014 by the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly.
During the trial, the Paramount Chief of Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, prayed the court for an out-of-court settlement which was granted but he failed to settle the case at his palace.
The court finally gave an order for the demolition of the market.
From Sarah Afful, Cape Coast
Email:affulsco@gmail.com