Kumasi City Market Traders Demand Refund Over Middle Lane Eviction

Traders who were operating along the Middle Lane of the Kumasi City Market have threatened market management, particularly the Operations Manager, who is also happened to be a special assistant to the Ashanti Regional NDC Chairman Nana Akwasi Andrews, Mr Prince Nyarko, to refund monies allegedly collected from them before they were abruptly evicted from the area.

 

The aggrieved traders claim they were charged various sums, including GH¢6,000 and GH¢3,000, to secure trading spaces along the Middle Lane inside the market.

 

According to them, the affected traders are more than 400, making the total amount involved substantial.

 

For some few months that they were officially allowed to trade at the said location, the traders were evicted on grounds that the Middle Lane is an emergency access route and not meant for commercial activities.

 

Speaking to the media, Isaac Oppong, the leader of the affected traders, alleged that the monies were collected on the instructions of the Operations Manager Prince Ofori.

“They’ve collected our money, GH¢3,000. If you count from the start of the ramp to the end, there are almost 400 people here. I personally collected the money and handed it over to the operations manager,” he said.

Another leader of the group, Akwasi Aning, also expressed frustration over the situation, stressing that the financial burden on the traders goes beyond the initial payments.

 

The traders insist that if management will no longer allow them to trade at the Middle Lane, their monies must be refunded immediately.

 

“They collected my GH¢6,000 and gave me a place to sit and trade. Then in January, they told us to vacate the place and return two weeks later. We obeyed them, but now that the two weeks are over, they don’t want us to occupy our space, and also refused to refund our money”, affected trader laments.

 

Meanwhile, the accused, Prince Ofori Nyarko, Operations Manager, has admitted that they collected money from traders to occupy the space for trading, but they also gave them time to vacate.

He insisted that the amount collected from the traders was ¢250, contrary to what the traders claim.

 

“In December, we gave them a receipt for GH¢250, which stated they could occupy the space from December 15, 2025, to January 15, 2026, for a sanitization exercise.”

Meanwhile, market management has denied allegations that any money was collected from the traders, further deepening the dispute.

The situation remains tense as the traders await a resolution from the authorities.

 

 

 

 

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