Tragedy struck the Sekondi Market on Monday, October 6, when parts of the deteriorating structure collapsed, killing one trader and injuring several others. The incident has intensified calls from traders and local leaders for the government to urgently redevelop the market into a modern facility.
Sekondi Member of Parliament, Blay Nyamekye Armah, led the appeal, urging President John Dramani Mahama and Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson to prioritize the project, which has been pending for years.
“H.E. President Mahama and Hon. Ato Forson, please have mercy on our market women—our mothers—who have suffered for 32 years,” Armah pleaded. “People are dying and getting injured. Sekondi is crying out. We beg the President to fulfil his promise and rebuild the market.”
He also appealed to Vice Presidential candidate Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to intervene, describing the market’s condition as unsafe and unfit for human use.
In interviews with Channel One TV News, several traders expressed frustration over the government’s inaction and the worsening state of the facility. Many said they are struggling financially and depend on the market to repay their debts.
“We’re pleading with the government to come to our aid,” one trader said. “The market is unsafe, and we can’t continue trading like this. The government should redevelop it immediately.”
The Sekondi Market, one of the Western Region’s key trading centers, has been in a state of disrepair for decades, with repeated promises of renovation yet to materialize. Monday’s collapse has renewed public pressure on authorities to act swiftly to prevent further loss of life.
Source:Africa Publicity
