Coronavirus: Agbozume market flouts Social distance directive

Traders in Agbozume Market have flouted the social distancing directive issued by President Nana Akufo-Addo to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus in the Country.

The traders, both men and women, old and young who trooped to the market as usual, for business on Wednesday, April 1, 2020 were seen walking side-by-side and crowded at the four entrances to the Market without recourse to social distance order.

At about 4:00pm, hundreds of traders were moving to and fro, at the entrance closed to the main station. The situation was not different at the main entrance on the Aflao-Accra Highway leading to the Kete/Kente Market.

Soap with Veronica bucket and hand sanitizer were put at the entrance but many traders were just passing it by.

The Kete/Kente Weavers were equally guilty, as they ignorantly packed themselves at one corner to sell their goods.

Agbozume, under the Somey Traditional Area has one of the biggest markets in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region with two sub-markets: Kente Markets and Goat Market (Egbor Shime).

The market day, which takes place every four days is known for the sale of hand woven Kente cloth, where traders from Kumasi, Agotime Kpetoe, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin and Nigeria come to buy them for export.

Kete weaving is the main occupation among the men in every village within the Klikor and Agbozume areas. Other people are into vegetable farming, fishing and other agriculture related businesses.

Their women are into salt mining and local
biscuit production also known as ‘Agbozume Kpornor’.

On market days people from surrounding villages and other big towns like Akatsi, Abor, Denu, Aflao and Dzodze also come to Agbozume to trade various goods including fish, local gin known as ‘Akpeteshie’, and local cooking oil made from coconut.

In view of the increasing number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country now, some concerned citizens feared the continuous disregard for law and order by citizens could spell a catastrophe.

Source: Edzorna Francis Mensah