The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ashanti region has condemned the demolition of the Abinkyi market and questioned the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) for what they describe as their reluctance and lack of concern about the issue.
Addressing the press in Kumasi, the Communications Officer for the NDC in the Subin constituency, Samuel Owusu Mensah, empathised with the traders and urged them to vote for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama, who has them at heart and would reconstruct the market for them to ply their business without fear or intimidation.
According to the traders, the market was demolished by a private developer who now claims ownership of the land where they have their shops. They indicate that they had bought the shops from a different private developer who is now deceased, and their documents were authenticated by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.
Prior to the demolition, the traders said efforts to seek answers from the KMA on the notice of evacuation proved futile as they met the absence of the mayor on several occasions.
Over 700 shops in the market were thus demolished by the private developer, on Saturday, 20th July 2024, from around 11 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Mr Mensah therefore noted that “The country is inflicted with so many economic challenges, high indebtedness, high interest rate, high cost of food, depreciation of the cedi, unemployment, unprecedented corruption, just to mention a few…Those put in the position of care and trust have relegated their sworn duties to the background while citizens continue to wallow in abject poverty and stress.”
“Why should the KMA sit on the fence while people lose their means of livelihood through such barbaric, disdainful inconsiderate and outrageous acts meted out to innocent people who do everything possible to put body and soul together?
“The NDC has promised to rebuild the Abinkyi market where marketers will feel more secure and go about their normal business without fear or intimidation.”
