Henry Quartey waves to the happy market women
DEPUTY MINSTER for the Interior, Henry Quartey, put smiles on the faces of 60 petty traders at ©the Mallam Atta Market in Accra on Friday, October 19, 2018.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ayawaso Central Constituency stormed the market and donated GH¢400 cash to each petty trader to support their business and improve their living conditions.
The donations were also extended to some men at the market who are engaged in small-scale business such as butchery.
Out of joy, the traders sang and danced with excitement while they chorused the name of the MP.
Addressing the gathering, the MP said the government of the Republic in its quest to improve the living conditions of the people has put in place several measures.
While they await the arrival of money from MASLOC, the MP, together with his team and with the blessings of the President of the Republic, Nana Akufo-Addo, had come to make the donations as a step towards achieving the president’s goals.
He disclosed that the money was sourced from the Social Intervention Fund and was being given to the petty traders with absolutely no interest.
He counselled the beneficiaries to put the money to good use and ensure it serves its intended purpose by avoiding extravagance.
He stressed that the funds were to benefit the good people of his constituency regardless of political affiliation, adding that beneficiaries were selected without recourse to political attachment or colour and begged the people not to attach political sentiments to the donations afterwards.
The MP assured them that he would return in due course to make donations to more petty traders at the market.
In all, 60 people benefitted from the donations with 58 petty traders (both men and women) going home with GH¢400 each while two butchers took home GH¢800 each due to the nature of their business.
It would be recalled that last month, the MP visited four churches in his constituency where he donated a cheque of GH¢15,000 to each church. The money was to be distributed GH¢300 each to 50 petty traders in the church to help improve their livelihood. The women were selected by a special committee formed by the leadership of the churches. The donation was greeted with immense joy by the beneficiaries and members of the churches.
BY: Nii Adjei Mensahfio