The government of Ghana has resumed construction on the second phase of the Kejetia Central Market.
Work on phase two of the Kejetia-Central Market redevelopment project started in 2022 and was later abandoned in early 2023 due to a lack of funds.
Traders and residents in the Ashanti region made several calls to the government to ensure work resumed, with some threatening to embark on a demonstration to press the government to release funds for the resumption of work.
Coincidentally, construction of the project which was abandoned for over a year has resumed, eleven (11) days to the December 7, 2024 general elections.
A video posted on X by @eddie_wrt shows construction vibrantly ongoing at the site.
A man can be heard in the video saying, “This is the Kejetia Central Market in shot. As you can see construction is vibrantly going on. It is left with just two weeks to elections and looking at the work they are doing, it is as if they will finish construction in two weeks.”
He added that regardless of the construction ongoing, traders are angry at the government for stalling the project.
“The traders say they will vote against the NPP. They said the NPP refused to complete the project in 8 years so traders here say they will not vote for the NPP again,” he added.
President John Dramani Mahama broke ground for the construction of the first phase of $298 million Kumasi-Central Market reconstruction project in Kumasi in 2015. However, he was unable to complete the project as he was voted out of office in the 2016 elections.
The Akufo-Addo led government after taking over power in 2017 abandoned the project, with some of his appointees describing the Kumasi-Central Market reconstruction as a misplaced priority.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, described the Kumasi Kejetia project, constructed under John Mahama’s administration as an ill-thought project.
Watch video:
Serious construction work reportedly resumes on the second phase of the Kejetia Central Market, just 11 days before the elections. pic.twitter.com/ixhm6z8NGk
— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) November 26, 2024
