Business owners and traders have bemoaned the lack of patronage of their merchandise following the curfew imposed on the town by the Interior Minister.

According to them, most of their customers shop in the latter part of the day. Because the traders also have to close before the curfew starts, many of these clients are either rushing home after a long day at work or scarcely leaving their houses to patronize them out of fear of being caught violating the curfew directive.

The curfew in Nkwanta Municipality was imposed following a conflict between the Adele, Challa, and Akyode tribes, which erupted over disagreements related to the performance of ritual rites connected to the Akyodes’ 2023 annual yam festival.

The chaos resulted in multiple fatalities, injuries, and property damage, prompting many residents to flee the area.

Consequently, the Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, enforced a curfew on the Nkwanta township, limiting movement from 5 pm to 6 am. The minister cautioned that those who disobey the order will face legal action.

“Today is Monday here in Nkwanta and a market day here, but I can tell you that we are counting low sales. I am a trader myself and it’s been very bad. We are just waiting and praying that the curfew is lifted so that many more people can come to town, and then we can resume our duties and normal days," a trader told Citi News.

“It has been very, very bad because even if we come to town, open our shops, we have to close by 4 pm, and you know by 4 pm, people should be buying or those who did not have money to buy in the morning can start buying. In Nkwanta, most people come from the villages to buy and purchase our goods but because of the curfew and the problems that we encountered a few months ago, people are refusing to come to town so it is a headache, we are not finding it easy at all.”

Despite the continuous unrest in the municipality, the traders have pleaded with the Interior Minister to adjust the terms of the curfew to be more favourable to their businesses.

“The economic situation in Nkwanta is so bad that we plead with the Interior Minister, Mr. Ambrose Derry, to do something about the curfew; either reviewing it or doing something for us.”

NOQ/MA

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