Hon. Francis Asenso-Boakye, MP for Bantama and Ranking Member on the Local Government and Rural Development Committee, has urged the government to immediately halt demolitions and review the 24-Hour Economy Market program.
Speaking to the press on behalf of the Minority, he highlighted growing resistance from affected communities and market women due to inadequate consultation and the destruction of viable public and private infrastructure.
Specific structures affected or threatened include the King Kasu Market, Nandom Magistrate Court, Tendamba Primary School, newly built markets in Inche and Wenchi, and commercial properties in Kasoa, Elubo, Nungua, Kwabenya, Ellembelle, Ashaiman, and Konkomba. Asenso-Boakye questioned the economic logic of destroying existing, useful assets during a period of fiscal restraint, demanding transparency and a shift toward demand-driven project selection.
“Considering these serious and legitimate concerns and growing resistance from affected communities especially our mothers and market women, we in the Minority on behalf of the good people of Ghana call on the government to have a relook at the 24-hour economy market program,” he stated.
“The program should be redesigned to be needs-based and demand-driven and implemented only where a genuine need has been established. Development plans must guide the selection of the projects,” he stressed.
“Together they point to a troubling pattern. Existing markets, newly constructed facilities, schools, businesses, homes, and other community assets are being displaced or demolished in the name of a program whose economic justification has not been sufficiently demonstrated,” he stated.
“At a time of severe fiscal constraints, government must explain the economic justification for destroying useful and in some cases recently constructed public assets only to spend scarce public resources replacing them,” he said.
“Twenty-four hour economy market must be demand driven and must respond to demand. A market does not become a viable twenty-four hour market simply because government calls it one,” he argued.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana