By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Ave Dakpa
Hundreds of young people and traders in Ave Dakpa, the district capital of the Akatsi North District in the Volta Region, have staged a peaceful three-hour demonstration demanding that the proposed 24-hour economy market be relocated from Ave Xevi to Ave Dakpa.
The demonstrators also called on the District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Bless K. Katamani, to apologise to the chiefs and other stakeholders, alleging that they were misled into approving the siting of the project outside the district capital.
About 200 protesters, dressed in red attire, participated in the demonstration. They included market women who abandoned trading activities at the Ave Dakpa Central Market to join the protest, which was marked by brass band music and the singing of Asafo songs.
The protesters marched through the principal streets of Ave Dakpa, made a stop at the undeveloped central market, and later converged at the premises of the Akatsi North District Assembly, where they presented an eight-point petition to the DCE.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Hon. DCE, Your Decision is Biased,” “Presiding Member, You Are a Traitor,” and “DCE, You Ignored the President’s Directive on Site Location,” the demonstrators insisted that the proposed market should be established in the district capital.
Speaking to journalists during the protest, participants expressed disappointment over the Assembly’s decision, claiming that adequate stakeholder consultation was not undertaken before the market location was approved.
According to them, several attempts to have the decision reviewed had yielded no positive response, leaving them with no option but to embark on the peaceful demonstration.
Addressing the protesters, some of the demonstration leaders, including Fiator Simon Dzorkpe and Mr. Collins C. Ahiagbede, commended the youth, market women and residents for turning out in large numbers and conducting themselves peacefully throughout the exercise.
Presenting the petition, spokesperson for the group and opinion leader, Mr. Perry Nyamekor, alleged that the DCE acted contrary to the President’s directive as contained in the 24-hour economy policy blueprint by approving the market’s location at Ave Xevi instead of the district capital.
He argued that the decision undermines the authority of the President and demonstrates disrespect towards both the presidency and the people of Ave Dakpa. Mr. Nyamekor further warned that the decision could threaten the peace and unity of the district, adding that any resulting tension would be the responsibility of the DCE.
Receiving the petition, Hon. Bless K. Katamani commended the demonstrators for conducting a peaceful protest, describing the exercise as orderly and reflective of the people’s interest in the development of the district.
The DCE, however, rejected claims that the decision to site the 24-hour economy market at Ave Xevi was unilateral or based on personal preference. He explained that the proposal underwent the necessary stakeholder consultations before receiving approval at a General Assembly meeting of the District Assembly, attended by elected Assembly Members and government appointees.
He also dismissed suggestions that the Ave Dakpa Central Market had been neglected or would be abandoned because of the proposed 24-hour economy market.
Hon. Katamani disclosed that the Assembly has plans to rehabilitate and modernise the Ave Dakpa Central Market to restore its status as the principal market in the district capital.
He further assured the demonstrators that their request to relocate the proposed 24-hour economy market to Ave Dakpa would be subjected to the same stakeholder consultation process before any further decision is taken.
The DCE appealed to the youth and residents to remain calm and allow due process to take its course, stressing that the Assembly would not take any decision that would undermine the development of the Akatsi North District.
