Market women were held outside the market close to four hours before being allowed entry
Some rituals have been performed at the Takoradi Market Circle in the Western Region to appease a ‘hungry and angry’ market god who spiritualists say, is the cause of the recent continuous recording of low sales by traders in the market.
Legend has it that the god, nana abobonua, used to be the protector of the market and also ensured good sales for the traders.
A spirit manifested through a fetish priestess from Agona Nkwanta who was passing through the market, and revealed the god has relocated from the Market Circle to a different place because it has been starved by the traders, something she said had accounted for the low sales in the market.
According the traders, foodstuff and money were annually collected from traders in the market for the god but that was ceased eight years ago after the death of the chief of Amanful Royal family who was said to be the one responsible for the performance of the ritual.
The traders say the god manifested itself through a fetish priestess who was passing through the market. According to them, the god said it has been left hungry and angry because the ritual expected of them has not been performed.
The fetish priestess was said to have asked them to ensure the ritual was resumed if they wanted to record high sales.
Consequent to that, all the traders were made to pay GHC5 each by the traditional authorities of the Amanful family for the ritual to pacify the god who they said is ‘hungry and angry’. On Wednesday morning, the priests and the priestesses stormed the Market Circle to begin a two-day pacification ritual that they hope would cause sales to surge in the market.
Traders were left stranded for about four hours as the market was placed under lock-down, libation poured and mashed yam sprinkled inside the market before the traders were allowed entry. The pacification is expected to continue Thursday morning.
But the performance of the ritual has been received with skepticism as some of the traders believe it will amount to nothing but others are positive it will help boost sales especially during yuletide.
The skeptics are of the view that the dwindling sales cannot be the doing of any god as is being told but rather the result of other traders who have intruded and are selling behind the market.
The traders largely blame Kobby Okyere Darko Mensah, Member of Parliament for Takoradi for allowing the intruders to sell behind the market at their expense.
