Osei Assibey Antwi is the Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly
Some traders at Nana Afia Kobi Ampem Market in Kumasi, commonly referred to as ‘Abenkyi Market,’ have petitioned five bodies to bring the Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Mr Osei Assibey Antwi to order before things get out of hand.
The organisations and individual petitioned were Asantehemaa, Ministry of the Local Government and Rural Development, Ashanti Regional Minister, National Security and the Bureau National Investigations.
At a news conference, Janet Boamah, an executive member of the traders’ association accused Mr Assibey of not doing much to improve the market named after the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afi Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, who happened to be the biological mother of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
They appealed to the petitioned bodies to act immediately to prevent the collapse of the market.
According to them, the refusal by the KMA boss to give ears to their grievances after several letters to solve the debilitating problems at the market amounted to gross respect to the people.
They mentioned insanitary condition, poor lightening system, removal of Western Region drivers from the market to the Adehyie and Acheamfuor markets among others as some challenges facing the market.
They said insecurity at the market had exposed the traders to criminals who constantly attack and rob them of colossal sums of money.
“We are of the strongest belief that the KMA boss does not have the interest and the stability on Nana Kobi Serwaa Ampem at heart,” they stated in the petition.
Reacting to the allegations in a radio interview, the Public Relations Officer of the KMA, Mr Godwin Okumah Nyame refuted the allegations and said the assembly was in the process of making the market a vibrant business centre.
