The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications Bureau in the Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency has rejected claims by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the 24-Hour Economy Market in Nadowli is being varied, with some ancillary facilities set to be removed.
Addressing a press conference in Kaleo, the NDC Constituency Communications Officer, Mr Sylvester Biekpe, said the opposition party’s claim lacked a basic understanding of the 24-Hour Economy policy and the design of the market project.
He insisted that the market, located in Nadowli, the district capital, had reached an advanced stage of construction and could not be altered as alleged.
“When His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama visited the Upper West Region on his tour, he inspected this market site because of the progress made so far, which he commended,” Mr Biekpe stated.
President Mahama inspected the project in September during his Resetting Ghana Tour of the Upper West Region and praised the contractor’s progress, describing the work as “on track.”
The NPP in the constituency had, in a press release last week, raised concern that the plan for the Nadowli-Kaleo 24-Hour Economy Market was being redesigned to reduce its size and remove some facilities.
But Mr Biekpe questioned the sincerity behind the claim, arguing that any variation to the current plan would require parts of the already advanced structure to be demolished.
“Per the work done so far, if the plan for the market is to be varied as they claim, it suggests that parts of the market would be broken down. That will never happen,” he said.
He assured residents of the Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency that the John Dramani Mahama-led government remained committed to completing the market and opening it for commercial activities.
Mr Biekpe, who is also aspiring to become the NDC Upper West Regional Communications Officer, highlighted what he described as numerous development interventions by the Mahama-led government and the Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Anthony Sumah.
He also commended the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Bagbin, for his role in championing development in the constituency, as well as the Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Major General Paul Tanye-Kulono.
The Nadowli project forms part of government’s nationwide initiative to construct 24-Hour Markets in all 261 constituencies, intended to expand trading infrastructure, support farmers and strengthen local economies.
The Nadowli-Kaleo District is also expected to benefit from a second 24-Hour Economy Market at Sankana, championed by Speaker Bagbin as a special intervention.
