TWMA invites investors for Community Five market reconstruction

The Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA) is wooing investors to join it construct a befitting ultra-modern market for residents of Tema Community Five and its surroundings

The current market which is a pale shadow of itself, has its stalls converted into makeshift wooden structures housing people.

Its two gates were left ajar with no locks whiles parts of the market served as unofficial urinal, a source of stench engulfing the place. A portion of the market had also been turned into a storage for abandoned articulated vehicle tyres.

Nana Yaw Opuku Danso, Assembly member for the Kaiser Electoral Area, said the TWMA had opened its doors to investors both local and foreign, to partner it to construct an ultra-modern market for the area as the place had been left to deteriorate over the years.

Mr Opoku Danso told the reporters during his campaign launch that it was unfortunate that at when the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) was preparing to get investors to invest in the project, the TWMA was ceded off leading to the need for the call of investors by the new assembly.

"The market is very old and it has deteriorated over the years, we need investors to help us change the entire market into something modern and befitting," he stated.

He cautioned residents who eased themselves into black polythene bags and threw them into the market or hid them in the abandoned tyres positioned in the market and the car park.

Answering questions from the traders about rumours that they would be sacked from the market, he gave the assurance that data would be collected on those trading in the market enclave and proper documentation would be done before any the construction of a new market and its subsequent allocation.

He rather urged the traders to form an association and stay united so that the Assembly and any investors could engage their leaders on any issue as it would be difficult to meet them one on one.

Mr Opoku Danso presented registration forms to the traders and paid for their passport pictures to be taken for the registration to start their association and called on them to vote for him during the December 17, Assembly elections to represent them at the Assembly for the third time.

Madam Beatrice Addo, the market queen and chop bar operator, lamented the many years of neglect at the market saying that because the stalls had been turned into sleeping places it was impossible to close the markets at night and as result, miscreants take over at night.

Madam Addo added that flood waters from the community also entered shops whenever it rained, making it impossible for easy access.

There were presentations on good sanitation practices, proper disposal of waste, sewer issues from the waste department of the TWMA.