Yam sellers at the Kumasi Central market have expressed worry and disappointment on the authorities of the Kumasi city for taking them for fools.
According to the angry yam sellers, they have had a signal of eviction without the authorities allocating any other alternative places for them.
They have however embarked on a protest to resist the eviction attempt by the authorities. According to them, they're ever ready to go to any other place the authorities plan to move them to.
They said the Metropolitan Assembly and the Regional coordinating council have only given them the notice to evacuate them to pave way for the second phase of the Kejetia redevelopment project, without showing them any other place to go.
"We are ever ready to move to any place they ask us to go so that development can take place. They should show us a place to go before they evict us else we're not going to take it easy with them."
"We hear the regional minister saying on different radio stations that they're going to evacuate us on this coming Saturday night. How possible is that? We vote you, and you begin to disrespect us this way? Nana Addo must caution his regional minister who doesn't regard anyone but rule in an autocratic manner". They lamented.
The leadership of the traders however say they will not move until they're given an alternative space to trade.
Queen-mother of the Kejetia Yam sellers' association, Nana Yaa Foriwaa who led the traders said they're very disappointed in the leadership, especially the Ashanti regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei Mensah for being such a heartless man. She said she went to see the regional minister after hearing that a decision had been taken to evict the yam sellers from their place. But to her surprise, the regional minister out of anger turned down to hear her request for a new place to be allocated for the yam sellers.
"He told me he was not ready to hear any market issue. He only told me he expected me in his office so that he could discuss covid-19 issues with me. I was asked to leave the office by the regional minister".
She further explained that they are not against development, but their interest should first be addressed.
GhanaWeb's visit to the place saw a number of barricades been erected in the market, especially around zone three and four where these yam sellers trade suggesting that work is set to begin.
But the traders say the move by the assembly without first given them an alternative place to accommodate them was very unfortunate.
PRO and deputy secretary of the association, Mr. Martin Akolgo speaking to GhanaWeb said they only needed to know where to go before they could move to pave way for the Kejetia redevelopment project.
He described the regional minister's utterance to the queen mother as a very unfortunate one where he indicated that it was inappropriate for the regional minister to turn down the queen mother who tried fighting for her people.
"It's very unfortunate. How can a whole regional minister who supersedes all other MMDCES in the region tell our queen mother who complained of an issue for him to resolve that he's not ready to resolve that issue?" He quizzed rhetorically.
He however pleaded with the Regional Minister, the Mayor of Kumasi and other government stakeholders to immediately reconsider their decision and find a place at either Racecourse or Krofrom where they can trade peacefully.
"They should use at least one month to prepare grounds in either the Krofrom market or at Racecourse so that we can go peacefully. Evicting us without giving us a place to go is sheer wickedness. They should change their minds". He said.
The traders are calling on authorities to give them alternatives