Correspondence from Bono Region

Market women at Odumasi no. '1' have appealed to their Member of Parliament for Sunyani West to complete their market for them.

GhanaWeb's Regional Correspondence visit to the market on Thursday, February 4, 2021 revealed the poor state of the current market where market women have erected a temporal wooden structures as stalls to sell their items.

Odumasi, the district capital of Sunyani West Municipal Assembly has two separate markets; one at Awuah Odumasi and the other at Odumasi no. '1'. These two separate markets attract a lot of market women from neighbouring communities such as Kwatire, Adantia, Boffourkrom and Abesu.

Speaking with Mrs Diana Kyeremaa, a tomato seller, she disclosed that the Member of Parliament for Sunyani West, Hon Ignatius Baffour Awuah prior to the 2020 General Election, met to discuss about their welfare. In this meeting, the MP promised to award the market on contract for expansion and rehabilitate works.

According to Mrs Kyeremaa, in November 2020, a piece of land that belongs to the maize market was given out to them to erect a temporal wooden structures for construction works to begin.

A visit to the site indicated that the old concrete structures have been demolished and the debris cleared. Though foundation works have not been completed, the site has been abandoned after the 2020 General Elections.

Another trader, Ms Rebecca Asiedu, who sells meat, fish and tilapia at the market recounted the challenges they go through at their new site. This site easily becomes flooded the last time it rained. The following day, traders had to carry saw dust to fill the place to cover up the flood. Ms Rebecca appealed to the Member of Parliament to ensure speedily work on the contract to get them their market.

Mr Kwabena Ansu, a unit committee member of the area expressed worry on the delay of construction works to get a better place for the market women. He stated that because the project was not by the assembly, it has been difficult to identify the contractor and that it is merely impossible to ask the assembly to come to their aide. Mr Ansu added his voice and appeal to the MP to get the market done before the rain sets in.

The Odumasi no. '1' market has been in existence for the past forty years. The market was given a facelift in the year 2000 where portions of the wooden structures were replaced with metal and concrete structures.