Hundreds of traders in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region have threatened to vote against the governing New Patriotic Party NPP come 2024 general polls over stalled works on the second phase of the Kejetia-Central Market Redevelopment project.

The €248-million Kumasi Central Market Redevelopment project which commenced in 2021, and is being constructed by Messrs Contracta Construction Limited, UK, has been at a standstill since January 2023.

The site is getting weedy and reptiles taking over the project situated at the heart of the regional capital.

The traders who are not happy with the current state of the project say they are organizing themselves to hit the streets with the biggest-ever protest in the region, against the government and all Members of Parliament who have the project in their catchment areas.

According to the traders, despite the ruling government’s claim of the Ashanti Region being its main stronghold, it continues to deny the region of major development projects.

The aggrieved traders say despite promises by the government to ensure work resumes after several petitions were channelled to the appropriate authorities, work is yet to resume.

Director of Operations for the Combined Kumasi Central Market Traders Union, Mr Daniel Otuo Acheampong, in an interview with OTEC News reporter Jacob Agyenim Boateng on Sunday, August 20, 2023, said they were livid with the government’s failure to complete the project as promised.

He noted that the trades will force their way through the uncompleted facility and begin trading activities there if the government show no commitment to coming back to the site again.

Pictures from the €248-million Kumasi Central Market Redevelopment project which commenced in 2021, show part of the site development bushy areas after work on the project stalled for some months now.

Being constructed by Messrs Contracta Construction Limited, UK, the monumental project has been at a standstill since January 2023 causing the traders to express their hard feelings to the government.