Tain tastes the fruits of a metropolis

Nsawkaw (B/A), Jan. 3, GNA - Nsawkaw, Tain District capital, enjoyed the "fruits" of a metropolis for a short while, after the area became the decider for the 2008 presidential election run-off. The capital became a field day for traders, who engaged in brisk businesses, following the influx of people from the length and breadth of the country ostensibly to offer support for their political parties in the Tain election re-run on January 2, 2009.

After the 2008 presidential run-off on December 28, 2008 in 229 constituencies, no winner emerged and the Tain Constituency (where the re-run election could take place) became the spotlight to determine the overall results. The Electoral Commission, therefore, agreed to wait for the election in Tain before declaring the results. Thousands of supporters of the two parties, hundreds of security personnel and journalists from local and international media thronged Tain in anticipation of the outcome of the results after voting. The booming businesses which concentrated mainly in Nsawkaw saw food vendors, "chop and drinking bars" operators, cloth sellers, and way side automobile mechanics and vulganizers enjoyed abnormal profits as prices were reported to have escalated due to increased demands. Madam Janet Danquah, a chop bar operator told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that her daily sales had increased tremendously as a result of the polls.

"I used to sell only one maxi sized metal pot of fufu a day, but for the past three days I have been selling five pots a day," she said. The situation also attracted food vendors and other retailers' business people from outside the constituency some commuted from nearby towns and villages and stayed in Nsawkaw the three days before election. Mariama Usman, rice and stew seller and a resident of Wenchi said she sells once a week at the Wednesday market at Subinso, near Wenchi, but with the election in Tain, she was able to make sales each at Nsawkaw.

"Usually I am able to sell a quarter of a maxi bag of rice, which is a one maxi sized metal pot after cooking but today I have been able to sell one maxi bag of cooked rice", she added. Nana Abena Gyamfua, a store keeper wished such occasion would be "perpetual" in the town because the goods in her store such as ladies and gents jeans wares, white polyester materials have all been sold out. "I brought those items for the Christmas season but the election activities over-shadowed everything but now the 60 pairs of jeans and five bundles of white polyester have all been bought by the NDC supporters," she said.

Nana Gyamfua was of the view that the jubilant followers of NDC were going to use the jeans and the white material for jubilation should the EC declare the final results of the run-off in their favour. Abdulrahman Amadu, a "Khebab" meat seller said his usual daily sales of about GH¢8 increased to GH¢50 a day. A drinking bar attendant, Beatrice Addai said her quantity of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages went up, saying before December 31, the maximum sale of Guinness was three crates but "now we are selling at least 20 crates a day".