BY GRACE ZIGAH
A political dispute has erupted between Bimbilla Member of Parliament Dominic Nitiwul and Accra Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey over plans to demolish parts of the Konkomba Yam Market at Agbogbloshie to pave the way for a proposed 24-hour economy market.
The disagreement centres on concerns raised by Nitiwul over the section of the market predominantly occupied by Konkomba traders, with the MP questioning why that particular area appears to be the focus of the planned redevelopment while other sections of the market are reportedly not affected.
The MP has argued that the issue goes beyond the physical structures at Agbogbloshie, stressing that the market plays an important role in Ghana’s yam distribution network and supports millions of consumers and producers across the country.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, the Accra Mayor rejected suggestions that the Konkomba community was being targeted.
Allotey said he had personally visited the market more than 15 times before the proposed 24-hour economy market project was introduced and had been involved in identifying and marking the area earmarked for redevelopment.
He also challenged Mr Nitiwul’s account of the consultation process, accusing the MP of giving the public an inaccurate impression about how the redevelopment plans were arrived at.
“I don’t sit in the office, I am not an office mayor, I don’t wear political suit. I am always on the ground, I know what I am about, I know what I am saying, I don’t give fake news, I don’t deceive people,” Allotey said on Wednesday, September 16.
The mayor maintained that the administration of President John Dramani Mahama had been working to improve conditions for Konkomba traders and insisted that the proposed redevelopment should not be interpreted as an attempt to target the community.
He said the concerns surrounding the project should therefore be considered in the context of the planned development rather than as an effort directed against a particular group of traders.
Nitiwul: ‘I represent the traders and producers’
Nitiwul, however, remained firm in his opposition to what he considers a threat to the interests of traders and yam producers connected to the market.
The Bimbilla MP said his intervention was motivated by the economic importance of the Konkomba Yam Market and the large number of people who depend on it for their livelihoods and food supply.
He said a substantial proportion of yam producers in his constituency supply the market and argued that, as their elected representative, he had a responsibility to speak on their behalf.
“In the case of the Konkomba market, my people are the people of Ghana, the million people who buy yam at the Konkomba Yam Market. Three to four million yam are sold daily at the Konkomba Yam Market, so I represent those people. I also represent the yam producers from my own constituency, 90% of the yam producers are from my constituency so I represent them and I speak for them,” he said.
His comments have consequently shifted the dispute from a local redevelopment question to a broader debate over the potential implications of the proposed project for traders, farmers and consumers who depend on the market.
Nitiwul said Allotey met leaders of the Konkomba Yam Market on July 28, during which the mayor presented markings and drawings outlining the proposed development.
According to the MP, the traders told the mayor that the meeting was their first direct engagement with them.
Nitiwul further claimed that previous engagements had involved individuals whom the market traders did not consider to be their legitimate representatives.
That account was strongly disputed by the Accra Mayor. Allotey accused the MP of contradicting earlier statements concerning the consultation process and said the MP’s description of events had created a misleading impression among the public.
“You lied to the people. I have not met them as at that time, you told them we just woke up and we decided to do this work. You lied to the people and you have to apologise,” the mayor said.
The exchange has heightened tensions over the proposed redevelopment as stakeholders seek clarity on the precise areas that will be affected, the consultation process and what will happen to traders whose structures may be removed.
The proposed market forms part of the government’s broader 24-hour economy agenda, which seeks to expand economic activity beyond conventional working hours and create opportunities for businesses and workers.
