The Accra Mayor, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has denied allegations that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is deliberately targeting the Konkomba community in plans to construct a 24-hour market at the site of the Konkomba Yam Market.

The Mayor said the Assembly has engaged leaders of the Konkomba and other communities operating at the market ahead of the planned redevelopment.

Speaking on JoyFM’s Top Story on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Mr Allotey said he had personally visited the market several times and held meetings with traders before the project was initiated.

“First of all, I want you to know that His Excellency John Dramani Mahama and the NDC party love Konkomba market and love Konkomba’s. We’ve been trying our best to better their lives,” he said.

His comments follow accusations by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority in Parliament that the AMA had marked virtually every shop and residential structure occupied by members of the Konkomba community for demolition while leaving other parts of the area untouched.

The NPP Member of Parliament for Bimbilla and former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul, who led the Minority caucus to inspect the area, described the alleged targeting as discriminatory and called on President Mahama to stop the planned demolition.

Mr Allotey, however, rejected the claims and said the AMA had engaged the affected communities.

“I've been in the Konkomba market, I've gone there more than 15 times. Before we started this 24-hour market, I've been to the Konkomba market not one, not two, not three. I have been there, I have meetings with them,” he said.

He said leaders of the Konkomba and Nzema communities had been engaged on the project, adding that some of the engagements had taken place at his office and the Ministry of Transport.

“The leaders, the Konkomba people, the Nzema people, we have engaged them,” Mr Allotey said.

He also dismissed claims by Mr Nitiwul that the Assembly had failed to engage the traders.

“He lied from the beginning, because he said the mayor has not engaged the people,” he said.

The Mayor stressed that the intention of the project was not to remove the Konkomba traders from the area but to improve their trading environment.

“So we are not demolishing the Konkomba market,” he said.

Mr Allotey said the Assembly’s commitment was to provide a better environment for the traders as part of the redevelopment.

“But the promise we made to them was that we are going to better where they trade,” he said.

He maintained that the planned 24-hour market formed part of efforts to improve conditions for traders and pledged that the project would be carried out in line with the government’s commitment to the community.