Traders at Akyem Oda in the Birim Central Municipal Assembly have refused to occupy a newly constructed market citing inadequate security. The Assembly constructed the new market to ease congestion at the old market, which creates heavy vehicular and human traffic.

However, four years after the completion of the new market, the traders have refused to occupy the place. This came to light when journalists of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Media Auditing and Development Tracking project paid a visit to the site to acquaint themselves with the situation.

The GNA team was in the municipality to undertake media auditing and tracking of development to help promote transparency and accountability at the district level under a STAR-Ghana sponsored project. At the time of the visit, only one woman was found selling porridge near the market.

Some of the traders, who were still doing business at the old market, told the GNA team that the assembly constructed the market without providing any security measures such as fence wall around the market to ensure the safety of their unsold items in the stalls.

The traders expressed appreciation to the assembly for providing them with bigger market, but until a fence wall is provided they would never occupy the place. “I want to assure you today that if the assembly constructs a fence wall around the market today or tomorrow morning all of us will move to occupy the new market” one market woman emphasized.

The Deputy Municipal Engineer, Nana Nkansah Akom told the GNA in an interview that the market was handed over to the assembly four years ago, but the women had refused to occupy it.

He confirmed the market women had requested that a fence wall be built around the market to secure their wares, but the assembly is yet to consider the request. Nana Akom gave the assurance that management of the assembly would soon meet to find a lasting solution to the problem.