Scores of yam sellers at the Atebubu Yam Market in the Brong-Ahafo region are mounting intense pressure on President John Dramani Mahama and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) to, as a matter of urgency, fulfill their 2008 and 2012 campaign promise of renovating the Atebubu Yam Market, Today has gathered.
The angry yam sellers who are mostly from the Atebubu, Wenchie, Berekum, Yeji, Kwame Danso and Techiman in the Brong Ahafo region, the paper learnt, were gearing up for a protest march against what they described as the “deplorable state of the market” coupled with worsening economic and social conditions.
The concern of the sellers, this paper gathered, was the deliberate neglect by the central government (Mahama administration) to renovate the only largest yam market in Ghana which served as a source of yam market centre where traders from Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Koforidua, Bekwai, Tema and other places traded in large quantities of yams.
“We are now tired of President Mahama and his Ministers of the State for not being able to fulfill their campaign promises that they made to us both in 2008 and 2012 to which effect they promised to refurbish the deplorable state of the Atebubu Yam Market and the road networks in the region.
“…this time round we will stop listening to them anytime they tour our area… because we have realised that President Mahama and his appointees in the region do not have what it takes to improve the poor living conditions of the people, particularly improving upon on our road networks and renovating the Atebubu Yam Market,” some yam sellers told Today in an interview via telephone yesterday.
Speaking in an interview with Today, the Chairman of the Atebubu Market Association, Mr. Eliasu Kofo Wusu, observed that the deplorable state of the yam market was creating a lot of problems as it was becoming extremely difficult for yam sellers and buyers to patronise the place whenever there is a heavy downpour.
He also blamed past District Chief Executives (DCEs) and Ministers in the region including the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for Atebubu Constituency, Sanja Nanja, for doing little to improve the state of the market.
According to him, among the major challenges facing the region were poor road networks and the deplorable nature of the various market centres.
To this end, Mr. Wusu called on members of his outfit to join forces to impress upon the government to address the problems facing the area.
These problems, he noted, were adversely affecting businesses in the area.
He also noted that the persistent failure of the central government to address their problems had compelled yam sellers at the Atebubu Yam Market to take the decision to hit the street.
He re-affirmed the Atebubu yam sellers’ continuous commitment to put pressure on the current administration if nothing is done about the situation.
“The Atebubu Yam Market is the largest in Ghana and the people of Atebubu have since 1992 been voting for the NDC, yet have seen no development in their lives,” Mr. Wusu complained to Today.
“We wrote several letters to the government through the Atebubu District Assembly to help do something about the situation before things get worse, but all to no avail”, Mr. Wusu lamented.
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