Seek life first, not markets – Charles Owusu tells President Mahama

Political analyst Charles Owusu has urged President John Dramani Mahama to prioritise healthcare and essential social infrastructure over the government’s 24-Hour Markets initiative. The initiative, which forms part of the broader 24-Hour Economy agenda, aims to establish modern markets across all districts to expand economic opportunities, boost productivity, and create jobs. President Mahama has described the policy as a key intervention to stimulate commerce and provide decent trading spaces nationwide. “Markets are the lifeblood of trading and economic activity and so every district should have a decent place where people can come and do business. Farmers can bring their produce to come and sell,” the President said. But Charles Owusu, contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM’s morning show 'Kokrokoo', argued that hospitals, schools, and water facilities are more critical to survival than markets. “Because of interest, we keep quiet when we know what the government is doing is wrong and won’t help us. You can’t survive without facilities like water, hospitals, schools, but you can survive without a market. How can we have construction of markets as a priority? We’ve left construction of hospitals and we’re constructing 24-hour economy markets,” he said. Charles Owusu acknowledged that the initiative may be part of the government’s broader policy agenda but insisted that district hospitals should take precedence over markets. “It’s okay even if it is a policy of government, but government should prioritise district hospitals over markets. We plead with the President to seek life first,” he added. Source: peacefmonline.com
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