Plantain sellers at the ‘Berekum Thursday’ market on Friday, held a peaceful demonstration to register their displeasure against ‘attempts’ by the authorities of the Berekum Municipal Assembly to eject them from the market. 

Led by Nana Darkoaa Faabea, the Mawarehemaa (sub-queen) of the Berekum Traditional Area and clad with red neck bands, the visibly angry protestors carried bunches of plantain shoulder-high and marched through the central markets.

According to them, they did not understand why the assembly authorities were trying to move and give their selling place at the market to the dealers in second-hand clothing.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Berekum, Nana Faabea said the sellers had occupied the place for years, saying there was no way they were going to move away from that place in the market.

“We were even selling under our own sheds and tents and paying the market fees too before the assembly even constructed the market and we are not going to move”, she stated.

Nana Faabea questioned that “if the assembly doesn’t recognise our presence and business activities here, then why is it that revenue collectors come to collect the fees”.

“That’s what we do for the upkeep of our families. We are being treated unfairly and that’s not good”, she stated, calling on the assembly to construct permanent structures in the market for them to do their business”.

Efforts to contact authorities of the Municipal Assembly were unsuccessful.

SOURCE : GNA