Dominic Nitiwul, the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla and the Accra Mayor, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, have clashed over plans to demolish parts of the Konkomba Yam Market at Agbogbloshie for the rollout of the 24-hour economy market.
The Accra Mayor on Joy FM’s Top Story rejected the suggestion that the Konkomba community was being singled out in the Agbogbloshie demolition.
According to him, he has visited the market more than 15 times before the 24-hour market project was introduced and was involved in marking the area earmarked for redevelopment.
Michael Kpakpo Allotey challenged the MP’s account of the consultation process, accusing him of misleading the public about the project.
He stated, “I don’t sit in the office, I am not an office mayor, I don’t wear political suit. I am always on the ground, I know what I am about, I know what I am saying, I don’t give fake news, I don’t deceive people”.
He argued that the Mahama administration is seeking improve conditions for Konkomba traders and insisted that the community was not being targeted.
However, Nitiwul maintained that his concerns were about protecting the interests of traders and yam producers.
“In the case of the Konkomba market, my people are the people of Ghana, the million people who buy yam at the Konkomba yam market. 3-4 million yams are sold daily at the Konkomba yam market, so I represent those people. I also represent the yam producers from my own constituency; 90% of the yam producers are from my constituency, so I represent them, and I speak for them”, Nitiwul stated.
The disagreement stems from engagement between the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and the market’s leadership.
According to Nitiwul, the mayor met leaders of the Konkomba Yam Market on July 28 and presented them with markings and drawings.
The MP further stated that the traders told the mayor that it was their first meeting with them and that previous engagements had involved people they did not regard as their representatives.
However, Mr Allotey disputed the account and accused the MP of contradicting earlier statements about whether consultations.
Mr Allotey stated, “You lied to the people. I have not met them as at that time, you told them we just woke up, and we decided to do this work. You lied to the people, and you have to apologise”.
The development follows Dominic Nitiwul, who made a shocking allegation concerning Konkombas and plans to demolish parts of the Agbogbloshie market to make way for a 24-hour economy market.
According to Dominic Nitiwul, the exercise appears to be targeted at removing the Konkomba community from Accra.
He alleged that other sections of the market had been left untouched while the area where Konkombas sell their yams had been marked for demolition.
Nitiwul expressed concern that structures marked for demolition by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) appeared to be concentrated in the section of Agbogbloshie occupied by Konkomba traders.
Speaking in a viral video shared on X, the former Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, stated, “We don’t see what the Konkomba tribe has done against the government, that they have only come to the centre of Agbogbloshie where the Konkombas reside and decided to site the 24-hour market there.
“They left the side this way; they left the side behind. They left the side at the other side, but only marked where the Konkomba people are, and we feel that it is targeted at just removing the Konkombas from Accra. That’s all,” he said.
He added, “We do not believe that the agenda of the AMA Chief Executive is to build a 24-hour market because the land, the size of the land they have demarcated, is far beyond what they need for a 24-hour market.
“I have one in my constituency, he has one in his constituency, and we know the size of land they need. Why is it that only where the Konkombas are, the places that he marked? Did you observe that or not?” he asked.
The MP further added, “What did they do that you have decided to come to the centre where the Konkombas are? If you check the stretch, this bridge to that bridge, the centre is where the Konkombas are. You left all other areas and came to where only the Konkombas are, where they have their market.
“You’ve marked every store in the market to be demolished. You have also marked where they sleep to be demolished and left every other person. What crime have they committed? Are they not Ghanaians? So why? Why are they being targeted?” he said
“So, Mr President, stop your mayor. Mr President, let him stop targeting the Konkomba tribe. If you cannot help develop the market for the Konkombas to sell their yams, stop. Another president will come and do it. They are not moving tomorrow,” he said.
“It will be politically suicidal for the president to allow the mayor to touch and to do what he is thinking of doing. I will not expand on that, but we are saying that what we saw is not a good thing,” he said.
“Nobody is asking that we don’t want a 24-hour market. No, far from that. But the Konkomba yam market where they sell yam purely is totally different from the activities of the 24-hour market,” he noted.
Watch the video below:
@ghnow_ Hon. Nii Comey has donated 500 chop boxes and mattresses to residents of the Domeabra Obom Constituency. The items are being distributed today at Ashalaja School Park. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon. Nii Comey has donated 500 chop boxes and mattresses to residents of the Domeabra Obom Constituency. The items are being distributed today at Ashalaja School Park. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
