Tension brewing at Makola Market as politics creeps into union leadership

Tension is mounting between members of the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress at the Makola Market in Accra as politics creeps into the leadership of the market traders union.

They claim per convention, the leadership of the market union has been pegged to the leadership of Ghana where members of the party whose government is in power will be the ones to be the executives for the market union.

Some traders, who are members of the NPP claim that their NDC counterparts who formed the leadership of the Makola Traders Union have refused to hand over the leadership to them in line with the long-practiced convention in the market.

According to them, though the first lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has made attempt to resolve the issue, it has proved futile.

They claim have petitioned the mayor of Accra, the Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, and the Greater Accra Regional NPP executives but they have all not responded to their pleas to intervene in the simmering tension.

Two of the NPP members in the market, Madam Yemuteley Quaye and Janet Anum, said these on Onua FM Monday when they showed up at the Accra-based local radio station to indicate their frustration.

They claimed for the eight years that the NDC was in, members in the union who were known to be members of the NDC, were given the leadership of the market union.

They claimed that between 2001 and 2008 when the NPP was in power, a known NPP woman in the market, Yemo Teley Quaye, was appointed the chairperson but relinquished the position the when NPP lost power.

According to them the NDC traders in the market thus assumed the leadership of the traders union when the NDC government took over the governance of the country.

They named one Manaloko as the chairman and Ajawulo as the vice chairman with Auntie Joe as their secretary but unfortunately, Manaloko passed away for Ajawulo to assume the chairmanship position while Auntie Joe assumed the Vice Chairmanship position.

However, they said the NDC members currently occupying the leadership positions have refused to relinquish their positions, adding though Mrs. Akufo-Addo invited the two parties for a meeting, the issue was not resolved.

They have thus called on President Akufo-Addo, to intervene in the issue to avert any volatile situation in the market.