Mamponteng traders protest over abandoned market, reject new 24-hour economy project
Aggrieved traders at Mamponteng in the Kwabre East Municipality of the Ashanti Region have expressed outrage over what they describe as the continued neglect of their welfare by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), following the sod-cutting for a new 24-hour economy market project while an existing market project remains abandoned.
The traders, who spoke to the media on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, accused the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Joseph Amankwa, of failing to address their longstanding concerns despite repeated appeals.
According to the traders, they have been operating under high-tension electricity transmission lines for several years, exposing them to what they believe are serious health and safety risks. They lamented that a market project initiated to relocate them from the area has remained uncompleted and abandoned.
“The MCE, Hon. Joseph Amankwa, does not think about our health. We have cried for years, but nothing has been done. We are dying slowly under these high-tension lines,” one visibly distressed trader stated.
The traders further claimed that a number of their colleagues have died over the years, while others are currently battling health challenges, which they attribute to prolonged exposure to the high-tension power lines.
Their frustration, they said, intensified after authorities cut sod for a new market under the government’s 24-hour economy initiative instead of completing the abandoned facility meant for them.
“We thought the NDC government’s 24-hour economy policy would be used to complete the abandoned market project for us. Instead, they have decided to start a new one. What happens to us and the years of suffering we have endured?” another trader questioned.
The traders argued that the prolonged delay in completing the market has severely affected their businesses and livelihoods.
“Most of us have lost all our capital. We are trading under dangerous conditions, and many customers are afraid to patronize us because of the high-tension lines hanging over the market,” a trader lamented.
They are therefore appealing to the Kwabre East Municipal Assembly and other relevant authorities to urgently intervene by completing the abandoned market project and relocating them to a safer environment.
“We are calling on the Assembly to make the completion of the abandoned market a priority. We are losing our lives, our customers, and our businesses. The time to act is now,” the traders stressed.
The traders expressed hope that the Assembly would listen to their concerns and take immediate steps to address what they describe as a growing threat to both their health and economic survival.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com
