Official News Report | Eye on Western North Digital
Anger is mounting among market women at Sefwi Asawinso over alleged extortion of GHC400 to GHC700 before securing stalls at the relocation site for the Thursday market.
The traders say they were forced to pay unauthorized fees before being allocated spaces at the new shed, a development they describe as exploitative and unfair.
Confirming the incident, former GPRTU Chairman for Asawinso, Mr. Alhaji, told journalists he was unaware that the allocation of the market stalls had already taken place on Sunday. He said he was informed that the sharing exercise would be held on Wednesday.
“I knew the sharing of the stall shed was supposed to take place on Wednesday 1st June 2026, not knowing it had already been done this Sunday while the extortion goes on,” Mr. Alhaji stated. “This is not right. The women are suffering already, and adding extra charges without authority will only create more hardship.”
The affected market women are now calling on Municipal Chief Executive, Member of Parliament and the Western North Regional Coordinating Council, and security agencies to investigate the matter and act swiftly to stop the practice.
“They therefore call on authorities to act as soon as possible before things get out of hands,” one of the traders said(name withheld). The women fear the situation could trigger protests if left unaddressed.
Relocation of markets in the district has been ongoing to decongest the main lorry park area, but traders say lack of transparency in the allocation process is breeding tension.
Municipal officials are yet to issue an official statement on the allegations. As of press time, attempts to reach the Asawinso Market Committee for comment proved unsuccessful.