The Paramount Queenmother of the Asogli Traditional Area, Mamaga Akua Dei II, has directed the Ho Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Divine R.K. Bosson, to dissolve the committee appointed by the Assembly to manage activities in the Ho Central Market with immediate effect.
Mamaga Akua Dei said it was clear to the chiefs and queenmothers of Asogli that the MCE had no respect for tradition and culture, since Mr. Bosson and the Assembly had shown that they would not respect and work with the Market Queen appointed by the Queenmother of Asogli, Madam Joyce Norvixoxo.
The Paramount Queenmother gave the directive at a press conference in Ho on Monday, five days after market women demonstrated against the Ho Municipal Chief Executive and the Assembly for refusing to recognise the Market Queen appointed by the Paramount Queenmother and refused to work with her.
Mama Akua Dei explained that the Market Queen, Madam Dagbey Mansah, was duly installed some years back, but as she advanced in age, her health deteriorated and she became indisposed, therefore, as tradition demanded, when a Queenmother became inactive as a result of sickness, someone is appointed to act on her behalf, per the tradition of Asogli.
She continued that since Madam Dagbey Mansah was ill, the queenmothers met and appointed Madam Joyce Norvixoxo as the acting Market Queen of the Ho Central Market, and since then had been working with the Municipal Assembly and the then MCE, Mr. Pii Bansah.
Mamaga Akua Dei further explained that she was taken ill about two years ago and travelled abroad for medication, on her return she was informed that a new MCE called Mr. Divine R.K Bosson had decided not to work with the Market Queen appointed by the Asogli Queenmother, and decided to form a Management Committee to administer activities in the market.
She said she called the MCE to find out as to whether the information given her that he (MCE) also claimed that the Ho Central Market was the property of the Assembly, but he denied it, saying he never said the market belonged to the Assembly, but agreed that he and the Assembly decided not to work with the Market Queen.
According to Mamaga Akua Dei, Asogli, and for that matter, Ho, had been a peaceful area over the years and that the queenmothers would not allow any government appointee like the Ho MCE to be disrespectful to them, therefore, it was important for the MCE to dissolve the Market Management Committee and any other persons working in the name of the Assembly in the market to ensure peace.
She said market queens were found in the major markets in the Volta Region, and the country in general, who worked in collaboration with metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs), adding that she did not understand why that of the Ho Central Market would be different.
Mamaga Akua Dei stressed that even though the Ho Municipal Assembly paid a monthly rate on the land on which the market was situated, the place was for the chiefs and people of Asogli, and the Queenmother, once appointed by Madam Norvixoxo as acting Queen of the Ho Market, would continue to act in that capacity and administer its activities as tradition demanded.
