Re-construction of Ho market led to our downfall - Family cries

In early 2012, the then government realized the need for development and expanding livelihood opportunities for the citizenry in Ho and its environs by pulling down and reconstruction of the old market under the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Project (GUMPP) with a grant of GH¢8.5 million from France government.

Officials from France visited the Ho market and accessed the level of congestion after which the money was released for commencement of reconstruction of the aged market, but a situation where a new development will negatively affect lives and properties deserves a proper review.

The market was successfully completed in 2016 and yet to be officially commissioned, although sharing of the market stalls was engulfed with allegations of political affiliations, the Ho High court was able to plant fairness in sharing of the spaces after some aggrieved traders sent the case to the court for redress.

After completion of the new market

But today, many are those who lost their space to trade in the new market after sharing the stalls and among such traders is Ms Patience Ankrah. She is a Ga Adangbe who moved to Ho with her two daughters, Elikem and her elderly sister after the death of her husband in about two decades ago.

Popularly known as Awonye, she was a petty trader in the then Ho market in a shop she managed to secured with loan before the building was pulled down to make way for the new market. Awonye sadly lost her business and life has since been difficult for her and her two daughters.

Life after losing space to trade in the new market

Her younger daughter, Elikem in an exclusive interview on her mum’s condition said although the Ho Assembly relocated them to RTC park after demolishing their shop, business went down due to the location and they began to experience the worst side of life.

“We were given a space at RTC park to bring up a structure for a business but the particular spot we were given it wasn’t really at the roadside where people can get access to what they really want, it was in the middle of a lot of shops, so it was very difficult for business as it used to be after moving there and the buildings were brought down, so it got to a point we have to stop everything because our business of line was provisions a lot of things started expiring, spoiling and all that, we didn’t get a little or no money at all to go get new stocks to buy and sell and even if we get money elsewhere to go buy things, the question is who’s coming there to buy it? So how do we gain the profit in whatever we’ve gone to buy and sale?” Elikem said.

She revealed that situation led them to move back to their village, Agortime Afegame, because there was no money to cater for renting in Ho as well as their daily expenses in the city.

“ My mum has to relocate from the capital city which is Ho to our village to settle there because she couldn’t take care of the rent, then I decided instead of going back to stay in the village with her I better go somewhere else to get a job to support us all” she told me.

A trip to Accra for greener pasture

The village was not favourable for Elikem and her sister so each of them took their paths, then Elikem headed to Accra, “in 2016 I’ve to leave the village there to Accra to work” she said.

After arriving, she noted that she tried working with many people but her main challenges were accommodation and poor payment including poor working conditions, so after barely two years in Accra without getting proper accommodation and good job she found a boyfriend and she decided to live with him in his rented house.

She continued saying “...I got a work at Golden Tulip as a waitress but actually is was not a permanent job, I was working casually... so I’ve to stop work there.”

After Golden Tulip, she got another job at Fiesta Royale Hotel where she was earning good salary, out of which she used to cater for her mother back in the village and also managed to read a certificate course in Hospitality but she was laid off in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

She then got pregnant for her boyfriend few weeks into April 2020, during the Yuletide, Elikem successfully gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Ms Ankrah’s health condition

Ms Ankrah who is currently in her sick, upon several medical treatments she decided to get healings from God, temporarily moved from the village to settle at a prayer camp in the Ho municipality, in an effort to speak with her she declined to speak on record but has the beliefs that things will turn well for her by the help of God.

Her daughter Elikem speaking on her mum’s condition noted that “my mum now has a high blood pressure as her own challenges she is facing, some very vibrant and strong woman I know she is now sick has to depend on other people for even the little things to do at home, she is barely strong to do anything “ she said whilst holding back her tears.

She said they cannot take of the hospital bills any more since they have no solid source of income that is why her mum preferred the prayer camp over medication.

Elikem is in her 20s, she now lives with the mother of her baby’s father, her elderly sister also lives with a man whom she gave birth to in the southern part of Volta, to their mum, living in the village is a challenge, the poor widow now dwells in a church hall as her home.

On her education, she said she was not able to continue her studies after high school in 2014 basically because there is no financial support especially as their source of income has gone down, her sister suffered the same situation.

Elikem said, despite the challenges she is still determined to making it in life, her greatest wish now is to get money from whatever work she can do after her little boy comes of age so that she can change the fortunes of her family again.

One of the major reasons for reconstruction the market was the level of congestion but after completion of the new facility in 2016 and handing it over to the traders, the same old story can be seen today, especially on market days, the congestion level is nothing good to speak about, walkways are still occupied by traders as it used to be before the reconstruction.

It’s, therefore, necessary for authorities to properly consult the very persons who are to benefit from any initiative before enrolling it.

Meanwhile, the Ho Assembly has begun construction of some 142 stores in the market, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Prosper Kofi P.Bansah said the project was initiated to meet the demands of the rapid development of the municipality.

However, it’s uncertain whether those who lost space would be given another after completion of the ongoing stores.