Nima Market Not Sold — MCE Clarifies

Hajia Salma Sani Kuta, the Ayawaso East MCE

The Ayawaso East Municipal Chief Executive Officer (MCE ), Hajia Salma Mohammed Sani Kuta, has rubbished allegations by some market women that she has sold the Nima market to private investors.

According to the MCE, the market which is a government property is rather going to be redeveloped to give it a state of the arts facilities.

Hajia Salma said "how could I sell a public property which doesn't belong to me ? The Municipal Assembly has not sold the market but rather got an investor to redevelop and give the market a face-lift the market for the people."

She further explained that negotiations between the Assembly and the investors is at its initial stages and that no concrete decision on the redevelopment can be taken without the input of the people who sell at the market.

Hajia Salma Mohammed Sani Kuta disclosed that a stakeholders meeting between the Assembly, market leaders, chiefs and opinion leaders was held recently where the decision to redevelop the market was first put before the market leaders who are the key stakeholders.

She said the market leaders were given the opportunity to make inputs as to how they would like the restructuring of the market to take place.

" We also gave them the opportunity as the representatives of the other market people to go back and discuss the initiative with their members and take their responses and then report back to us".

The MCE in an exclusive interview with this reporter was reacting to a news reportage which alleges that she has sold the market out to private investors.

The news reportage which was carried on Gaskiya TV, an Accra based TV station also accused the MCE of collecting certain amounts of monies from the market women.

To further alley the fears of the people especially market women, the MCE and her entourage visited the market to interact one-on-one with the people and explain the redevelopment package to them

Hajia Salma responded that never has she collected such an amount or sent anyone to collect such monies on her behalf from the market women.

The MCE described the allegations levelled against her as a tactical ploy by her detractors to just tarnish her hard earned image and push her tremendous achievement under the carpet.

The investment is not for private gains but a partnership between the government and private sector to give the market a face lift that it deserves.

She further explained that if things go by plan, the redevelopment of the market would be conducted in different phases to minimise any inconvenience to buyers and sellers in the market.

To that end, she pointed out that some acres of the land would be redesigned into stores, car park for parking of vehicles and sheds for market persons who cannot afford the stores.

After the about two hours face to face interaction with the people, the market women finally expressed their relieves contrary to the earlier information they received which caused panic amongst them.

One, Hajia Kande Spices, thanked the MCE for taking time off her busy schedule to interact with them which has alleyed their fears.

When we first heard the news, we were worried that the government wants to sack us from the market to deprived us of our livelihoods.

She described hon. Salma's interaction with them as appropriate and timely which will ease the fears of the market people.

Hajia Kande promised to disseminate the news to their colleagues on the proposed market redevelopment and further requested for more interactions between the Municipal Assembly and the market people.