Some residents of Keta Central in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region, have protested against the decision to site the government’s proposed 24-hour economy market and a University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) pharmacy projects outside the community.

They described the decision by the authorities in the Municipality was unfair and politically motivated and argued that Keta Central met all the criteria to host both projects.

Mr James Ocloo Akorli, Former Assembly Member of Keta Central Electoral Area, and one of the community leaders, expressed frustration that the projects had been diverted to other communities despite the area’s commercial significance and its established round-the-clock trading culture.

“It is not true to say that we don’t have the lands for development projects, the relocation of the projects amount to a betrayal of the community that has consistently supported government’s agendas.

We are calling on President John Dramani Mahama, who gave us the promise to intervene and ensure that Keta Central receive its fair share of national development including the UHAS pharmacy and 24-hour economic market respectively.”

He explained that siting the 24-hour economy market away from Keta Central undermined the policy’s objective and that the area served as a major commercial hub and transit point for traders, commuters, and fishing communities along the coast, where round-the-clock activity already exists, and would serve many visitors especially after completion of the upcoming Keta harbour project.

Mr Kojo Baba, a community elder, also raised concern over the relocation of the UHAS pharmacy project, which he said was earlier proposed to be built at Keta, and stated that the act would deny the densely populated community convenient access to pharmaceutical services.

“We are not against development going to other communities, but what we are saying is that Keta Central deserves its fair share. There is no consultation with us to deliberate and agree on anything before the action by authorities from the assembly. Keta Central contributed a lot to the growth of the municipality, and we should not be sidelined.”

The prostraters alleged a pattern of projects being routed away from Keta Central to other communities with stronger political connections while the trend was deepening inequality and breeding grievances that could erode trust in government and fuel unrest.

They called on Keta MP, Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Wisdom Seade, and Volta Regional Minister Mr James Gunu to engage with residents and explain the site selection decisions.

They urged the government to establish clear and transparent criteria for siting 24-hour economy market projects nationwide and argued that transparency would reduce suspicion, prevent conflict between communities, and ensure equitable distribution of development resources.

Meanwhile, Mr Wisdom Seade the MCE and Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey, MP of the area, in an earlier interview with the Ghana News Agency, stated that proper community engagement was held prior to the location of the projects.

They raised concern about land litigation issues which were a major obstacle to development in the area and urged chiefs, elders and traditional authorities to willingly release lands for development projects.