After Months Of Inauguration: Kotokuraba Market In Shambles

Barely twenty-six months after the inauguration of the $31.75 million ultra-modern Cape Coast Kotokuraba Market, traders within the facility have began erecting make-shift wooden structures as stores.

These rings of structures have blocked walkways thereby forcing buyers and shoppers to walk on the well nursed green-grass located at designated places to add beauty to the magnificent facility.

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the facility on Tuesday, scores of Municipal Assembly security guards and the public were seen fetching water from the Ghana National Fire Service water hydrant within the facility for free.

The facility has 246 lockable shops, 496 stalls, 26 supermarkets, two banks, a restaurant, 14 office spaces, a nursery, clinic, fire station, post office, butchery, cold store, warehouse, and two level car parks with a total of 188 capacity.

In addition to that are a water storage facility, generator set, CCTV cameras and security rooms to ensure utmost security, while savings made from the contract is being used to construct additional structures to accommodate more traders.

Some traders told the GNA news team that the CCTV cameras and the generator set meant to support the security of the area were malfunctioning and threatened the security at the place.

The GNA news team also observed that less than half of the market capacity is occupied by traders whiles others hover on the streets hawking at the risk of their lives.

The gutters were also chocked with plastic waste materials amidst strong stench emanating from open drains as traders sat aloof.

Sadly, many traders engaged in the selling of fish, food stuffs, vegetables and other edibles were seen selling their items close to heaps of uncollected garbage as flies hover all over without qualms as to the consequences of their action.

Some traders complained about stench from the gutters and its impact on their health but indicated that they had no option than to contend with the situation to make ends meet.

The GNA further observed that many stalls were empty, deserted, under-locked and key.

However, some few traders who have moved into their stalls complained of low sales returns and called on the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly to rid the streets of traders who have abandoned their stalls.