The Municipal Chief Executive of Birim Central Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region, Hon. Victoria Adu Badu, has given Akyem Oda market women the last warning to move to Oda Nkwantanum market; if they fail to do so, the stores will be given to new owners.
The government, through the Ghana Secondary City Project, has built an ultramodern market facility for the municipality but majority of the beneficiaries who got allocations to the stores has refused to operate their business in the stores rather they are doing their businesses on the shoulders of the roads at Akyem Oda central market.
The market facility which was funded by the World Bank has 102 lockable stores with toilet facilities, a fire post, a creche, a 20-seater toilet facility, a restaurant, conference room and a health center.
Over 1000 people applied for the stores, but only 102 were lucky to get allocations, however, these beneficiaries have refused to start operating in the stores despite several calls from the Municipal Assembly.
The Akyem Oda Market serves people from so many districts, namely Birim South District, Achiase District, Akyemansa District, Birim North District, Asene Manso Akroso District, West Akim Municipal as well as people from other regions especially central region.
The Municipal Chief Executive, speaking to Ghananew247.com, stated that they have been calling on the people who got the stores to start doing their business in order for the facility to be fully operational to the benefits of the patrons of the market, the transport service providers and the entire municipality as their movement from the shoulders of the central business area to the Nkwantanum new market will ease traffic conjection and foster free movement and safety of vehicles and pedestrians in the area.
She said the Municipal Assembly is giving them an ultimatum of up to end of February to operate the stores or forfeit their ownership as the stores will be taken from them and be re-allocated to other people who are ready to operate the stores with immediate effect.
She advised that they avoid any sort of recrimination when that happens because the municipal assembly has given enough grace period and is left with no other option.
Report by Samuel Quao.