The decision by the Ahanta West Municipal Assembly (AWMA) to construct temporary market stalls in front of the Baidoe Bonsoe Senior High Technical School (BBSHTS) at Agona Nkwanta, in the Western Region, has raised eyebrows.
Though the school, its old students and traditional authorities have rejected the idea, the assembly is adamant and is still going ahead with the project.
As at the time of filing this story, workmen were on site constructing the stores, with the police providing security for them.
Information gathered by this paper indicates that the decision by the Assembly to engage the services of police at the site of the project was as a result of threats by the youth to raze the project to the ground.
The Assembly, under the World Bank Project, intends to construct 50 Lockable Market stores in the Agona-Nkwanta Market under the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Project to improve trading and urban services in the Municipality.
Some of the affected persons have been resettled within the market and the remaining 16 are temporarily being resettled on the frontage of the BBSHTS.
The Old students of the school have kicked against the decision to use the frontage of the school as a market place.
President of the Old Students Association, Michael Acheampong, speaking on Radio 360, a local radio station in Takoradi, made it clear that the Association was against the idea because it will affect the quality of teaching and learning.
According to him, the Agona-Nkwanta Market was already close to the school and bringing market women to trade right in front of the school would worsen the situation.
His outfit has, therefore, asked the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) to look elsewhere for the project.
A teacher of the school, Ebenezer Essien, on is part told this paper in a telephone interview that, already the proximity of the school to the market was a matter of concern to the school.
“So to have another market very close and at the frontage of the school should be a matter of concern to all stakeholders in Ahanta land”.
But the management of the Assembly in a press statement clarified that the arrangement was made to ensure the safety and well-being of those affected by the ongoing market stores project.
“We wish to state emphatically that once the construction of the 50 Lockable market stores are completed, all project affected persons will be duly relocated into the market stores and the greenery of the school’s frontage restored”.
The Assembly explained that their commitment to the school, stakeholders and the people of Ahanta remain unwavering and that they were working diligently to ensure minimal disruption during this transitional period.
“We respect the concerns of the school authorities and stakeholders of the school. We are open to dialogue to address or alleviate any apprehension they may have. We value the partnership and cooperation of all parties involved”.
Meanwhile, the Divisional Chief of Agona-Nkwanta, Nana Eziaku IV, has confirmed to this paper in a telephone interview that the decision to relocate the women to the frontage of the school came to him as a surprise.
According to him, he was part of the World Bank Team that interviewed the market women and the agreement was to either relocate the project to Agona Kokompe or find a place within the old market to construct the lockable stores.
But to his surprise, the Assembly had decided to settle on the frontage of the Baidoe Bonsoe Senior High School as venue for the temporary project.
He insisted that he was against the usage of the school’s frontage for trade purposes and that he was ready to offer a new land to resettle market women provided to the assembly would agree.
