Reconstruction of the ‘dreadful’ storm drain at Kojokrom Market in the Essikadu-Ketan Constituency of the Western Region will commence this month, September, and 65-year-old Adwoa Mintah, one of the early traders at the market, is ecstatic.
Auntie Adwoa was only 10 years old when her mother, who sold plantain and cassava, introduced her to the trade, and she has never looked back. She would come to the market after school to help her mother, and by age 15, she already knew how to haggle with customers over prices, identify which sack contained the best products, and place orders.
For the past 40 years, Adwoa has been plying her trade few meters from the main storm drain at the market, attending to one customer at a time, always brimming with a broad smile. But for the past five years, she has not been the happy ‘Auntie Adwoa’ who could be heard from afar singing and ringing her bell to attract customers.
The market has grown; more stalls have been built, and the waste generated has tripled. All along the drain, there are stalls mixed with other traders selling in the open. The storm drain is not properly constructed, and some of the waste generated has found its way into it, becoming a ‘headache’ for those who sell at the end of it—including Auntie Adwoa.
Together with her colleagues, Auntie Adwoa faces a torrid time whenever it rains. Their wares, especially those stored and valued at several thousands of cedis, are often destroyed by water running from the drain.
“One line that has become common in my prayers after work is, ‘Dear Lord, don’t let it rain tonight.’ Sometimes, my prayer gets answered, but several times, the Lord has his way, even though the result is painful for me,” she explained.
For years, Auntie Adwoa has made several requests to stakeholders and parliamentary candidates to “help fix the storm drain” to save her and her colleagues from the constant torment.
Last year, she made a passionate appeal to Charles Bissue, who was then contesting in the parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party. He assured her that he would ensure the drain is properly constructed once he emerges victorious.
Accompanied by the Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah and the Sekondi-Takoradi Mayor Abdul Issah Mumin, Charles Bissue has returned to the market bearing good news.
“I am here today to tell you, with joy in my heart, that we have secured funds to reconstruct the drain.”
He recounted, “About a year ago, I visited the market, and the Queen mother made a passionate plea on your behalf for me to help construct the storm drain here. It had rained that day, and I was taken to a section of the market. After what I saw, I immediately resolved to do all I could to ensure the construction of the drain. It was heartbreaking to see the wares of our mothers destroyed…”
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party’s forerunner for Election 2024, also visited the market during a tour of the region, where he was shown the drain.
Charles Bissue mentioned how instrumental Dr. Bawumia was in securing funds for the project, and told the excited traders that the best way to show appreciation to Dr. Bawumia for the gesture “is for you to come out in your numbers on December 7 to vote massively for him and myself.”
Before Charles Bissue could finish sharing his ‘good news,’ Auntie Adwoa, who had been listening attentively, dropped to the floor in tears. She had been waiting for this piece of news for too long and, for some reason, was confident that Charles Bissue was not lying.
“Charles Bissue came with the Regional Minister and the Mayor, and I have no reason to doubt the entourage because I don’t see any reason why they would come here and lie. I am confident that they will do as they say, especially when they mentioned the name of the noble man Dr. Bawumia.”
Charles Bissue commended the traders for their patience and reiterated his resolve to lead the development march of Essikadu-Ketan.
“I want to commend you for your patience during these difficult times. Essikadu-Ketan Constituency is a big one, so bear with me as the development challenges will be tackled one after the other and on a priority basis. I said solving the challenges here at the market would be my number one priority. Then there was a borehole challenge. We provided 10, and we currently have the go-ahead to add another 10…”
Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah confirmed that funds for the project have been disbursed.
“You will see the contractor on-site within the next 30 days. I plead with those selling close to the drain to relocate and return after the work has been completed. We did a similar project in Takoradi, and we faced no challenges, and we want to see the same here. It is not during an election year that we will come and demolish anybody’s shop. We are not going to do that.”
“Be wary of any claim that we are coming to demolish the market. You have heard it from me that it will not happen. The work is only to help end the current challenges associated with the drain. Nothing more, nothing less…”
DRIP Machines
Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah announced that machines for the government’s District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) for the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly have been handed over to the Mayor, Abdul Issah Mumin.
“…that for Essikadu-Ketan has already been handed over, even before my own for Takoradi. This is because some roads in this constituency need immediate attention. Essikadu-Ketan has six machines, and I have already said if there is a need for more to tackle the emergency roads, there are some at the regional administration. Currently, there is a training session for those who will use the machines.”
“The expectation is that they will commence work on the roads this week. The road in front of this market will be given priority, as will other roads like Eno, Eshiem, and others,” he said to a cheering crowd.
