Some of the allocated shops
Information reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates that the Ho Municipal Assembly, headed by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Fafa Adinyira, has completed the allocation of the shops in the Ho Central Market even before the contractors finally hands over the project.
Sources close to the assembly claimed the allocation of the shops intensified after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lost the 2016 elections.
The sources alleged that the MCE, who was under pressure from members of the NDC and the Regional Minister, Helen Adjoa Ntoso, allocated the shops to the party’s functionaries and other interest groups without recourse to the market women.
Threat and Lamentations
To this end, traders in the Ho Central Market have raised red flags over the allocation of yet-to-be completed shops to persons, who they claim do not ply their trade there.
They have also threatened to stop paying tolls to the assembly if the illegality is not reversed.
The leaders of the market, who have been complaining on the various local radio stations, revealed that a few weeks after the December 7, 2016 elections, officials of the Ho Municipal Assembly, led by the outgoing MCE, Fafa Adinyira, began the allocation of about 350 uncompleted shops to persons, who were not affected by the demolition exercise for the project to begin in 2014 two years after it was launched.
Former President John Mahama, then Vice President, on May 7, 2012, launched the 40.5 million Euros pilot programme funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to improve urban areas for the inhabitants of the four selected cities of Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale and Ho.
Wrong Allocations
The Secretary of the Ho Market Traders Association, Ben Adjinor, told the media that “on 26th December 2016, the MCE of Ho held a meeting with us concerning the market projects and told us they want to allocate the shops to the market women.
“The shops have now been allocated to government workers and people who do not even sell in the market, while the market women do not even have anything.”
He said a committee formed in collaboration with the assembly to ensure fair allocation of shops to traders in the market upon completion was sidelined by the MCE.
At the start of the project, the market women were promised that they would be given priority in the reallocation process.
Market Queen Mother, Madam Teresa Dagbey, also stated that the warehouses had also been allocated to persons who do not trade in the market.
The Association and other groups in the market have therefore called on the MCE and the Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, stop the allocation of the shops or ensure fair allocation for the right people and not NDC affiliates.
“Anything short of the demand of the market women could lead to chaos, because we will not agree to their fictitious allocations.”
Members of another group, the Ho Market Shop Owners Association, said most of their concrete shops were demolished to make way for the construction.
After complying with a directive to write to the Assembly with an initial deposit of GH¢500 to GH¢1000 for six months, we realised that the “strategic ground floor” which we used to occupy had been allocated to people who were not traders in the market, they stated.
MCE’s Defence
Eric Senam Bene, Presiding Officer at the Ho Municipal Assembly, who doubles as Chairman of the Allocation Committee and the MCE, Fafa Adinyirah, have however debunked the various allegations, saying that the shops were allocated in compliance with the original agreement and list submitted by the leaders of the market.
According to the MCE, despite the challenges, the assembly has worked hard to satisfy all interested parties- the traditional authority, the traders in the market and assembly members of the various electoral areas in the municipality.
226 out of the 350 shops were allocated to the traders, while the rest were shared among members of the other interest groups and stakeholders, she said.
The market, which is said to be over 80 percent complete, has not painted or furnished.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (freduoo@gmail.com)