Madam Ernestina Nartey, Ada Market Queen, in an interview said although a communication centre and additional pavilions had been constructed at the market, many traders had refused to occupy the structures, opting instead to sell in the open.  

Madam Nartey explained that some traders, despite paying the required fees for the pavilions, complained about the design and suitability of the structures for their trading activities, while others had rented out their allocated pavilions to third parties while continuing to trade outside.  

She noted that efforts by the market leadership to regulate trading activities had been constrained, as the Ada East District Assembly had cautioned them against forcibly removing traders from unauthorised spaces.  

According to her, previous market leaders were accused of contributing to a decline in patronage at the Ada Foah Market, which was once a major revenue source for the Assembly, prompting a more cautious approach by authorities.  

She disclosed that some traders also failed to seek permission before operating in the market, despite the existence of commodity-based leadership structures under the market association, which oversee the sale of various perishable foodstuffs.  

Madam Nartey further appealed to the assembly and other stakeholders to desist from politicising market issues, stressing that the association was non-partisan and focused solely on the welfare of traders.  

She revealed that some traders had suggested restricting access to the market by non-residents, a proposal she rejected, a stance which she said had subjected her to public ridicule.  

On revenue mobilisation, the Market Queen stated that traders continued to pay all required market tolls and taxes, yet little improvement had been made to the market infrastructure over the years.  

She therefore called on the assembly to prioritise the renovation and modernisation of the Kasseh Market to enhance trading conditions and boost economic activity.  

Supporting the call, Mr. Daniel Atsu Sabbah, an opinion leader within the association, attributed traders’ resistance to returning to the pavilions to changes introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Mr. Sabbah explained that spacing arrangements enforced during the pandemic had encouraged open trading, a practice many traders had since become accustomed to.  

He also expressed concern about traders operating within the compound of a nearby public school, saying the situation disrupted academic activities.  

He said several meetings had been held with the District Chief Executive and other stakeholders to evacuate traders from the school's premises, but the efforts had yielded little success?  

According to him, even after the deployment of a task force to enforce compliance, some traders remained defiant, insisting on selling in open spaces.