Tension is rising at the Ashaiman Main Market in the Greater Accra region as traders oppose government plans to redevelop the congested facility into a modern 24-hour market, vowing to resist any attempt to interfere with their stalls.

The proposed redevelopment, according to the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly, forms part of a broader market transformation agenda promised by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2024 general elections.

However, traders say they fear the project could lead to the loss of their stalls and threaten their livelihoods.

Speaking to JoyNews, some market women expressed frustration and anxiety, warning that any attempt to evict them would be met with strong resistance.

“If they want to do something better, they should speak to us first,” one trader said. “People are struggling to survive, and now you say you will sack them from the market. What are they going to eat?”

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ashaiman, Freeman Tsekpo, sought to allay the fears, insisting that no trader would be displaced once the project is completed. He stressed that the redeveloped market would be fully funded by the state and not handed over to private developers.

“The market we want to redevelop is a state market that will be built with government funds,” Mr Tsekpo explained. “The people currently trading here will be taken care of and will continue to sell there. This has nothing to do with selling the market to a private developer who will later allocate spaces to the highest bidder.”

To minimise disruption during the construction phase, the MCE said the assembly would provide alternative trading locations to ensure business continuity.

“The assembly will definitely provide alternative selling places for our marketers,” he said. “People must continue to eat. We will still need to buy tomatoes, pepper, fish and salt, and traders will be provided with places to sell.”

Mr Tsekpo also pledged sustained engagement with market leaders to ensure transparency and fairness throughout the redevelopment process. He indicated that the assembly would conduct a detailed data collection exercise to identify legitimate stall, shop and tabletop owners.

“There will be proper and effective engagement within the market,” he said. “We will take data on those who own sheds, stores, shops and tabletops, and we want the leadership to work closely with us so that during and after the project, people are placed back in their rightful positions.”

He assured traders that their interests have been factored into the project’s design and planning, stressing that existing market women and men will retain their spaces once construction is completed.