A group of aggrieved petty traders on Tuesday (3 October) staged a protest at the new Kumasi Kejetia Market in the Ashanti region, voicing their discontent over the allocation of trading spaces.
These traders, representing 11 different associations, were relocated from the old Kejetia market during its reconstruction but have struggled to secure suitable spaces for their businesses at the new facility.
They claim that their colleagues have been selectively offered spaces within the market, leaving them neglected for the past three years since the market’s reopening.
Despite numerous promises from the management, they have yet to receive allocated trading spaces.
The traders occupied open spaces within the market in response to this perceived injustice. They threatened to resist any attempts to evict them unless their fellow traders, who had already been granted spaces, were also evicted.
City authorities had to deploy soldiers to disperse the angry protesters.
“This is a clear case of unfairness”, one of their leaders said. “We will be here tomorrow as planned. The loud silence by city authorities is disgusting and as a group we will not relent.”
The Kumasi City Market Limited currently manages the facility. It is has not commented on the ongoing situation.
SOURCE: Dailymailgh