The Mankessim Traders Association has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to reshuffle the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Mfantseman Municipality, Hon. Stanley Acquah, accusing him of poor leadership and alleging that his administration is undermining development efforts and creating tension between the municipal assembly and traders.
At a press conference in Mankessim, the President of the Association, Madam Agnes Moore, described the MCE’s performance since assuming office as “abysmal,” arguing that his leadership style has failed to foster cooperation with key stakeholders in the municipality.
According to her, the actions of the MCE are negatively affecting the development agenda of both the Member of Parliament for Mfantseman and the government of President Mahama.
She therefore appealed directly to the President to intervene by reviewing the MCE’s performance before, in her view, the situation deteriorates further.
One of the major concerns raised by the association relates to the recent National Sanitation Day exercise declared by President Mahama.
Madam Moore alleged that the Mankessim Traders Association was deliberately excluded from participating in the exercise by the Municipal Chief Executive.
She explained that the association only became aware of the clean-up exercise at the last minute, leaving members with little time to adequately mobilise and participate.
According to her, market traders are among the key stakeholders responsible for maintaining cleanliness in the municipality’s markets, making their exclusion both surprising and unacceptable.
She described the incident as evidence of poor coordination and inadequate engagement between the assembly and trader groups.
The Association also expressed concern over what it described as plans to hand portions of the existing Mankessim market to a Chinese company for redevelopment.
Madam Moore alleged that traders resisted the proposed demolition because they had not been properly consulted and feared the project could threaten their businesses and livelihoods.
She claimed that following their opposition to the redevelopment plans, the MCE had allegedly become hostile towards members of the association and was attempting to frustrate their activities.
The traders are therefore calling on the government to investigate the allegations and ensure that any future plans regarding the market are carried out transparently and with the full involvement of stakeholders.
Madam Moore warned that ignoring the concerns of traders could have political consequences, arguing that dissatisfaction among market women and traders could affect public confidence in the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2028 general elections.
She urged the President to take what the association considers the necessary steps to restore confidence, promote unity and ensure effective leadership within the Mfantseman Municipality.
The Mankessim Traders Association maintains that a review of the MCE’s performance is necessary to safeguard peace, development and harmonious relations between the assembly and residents.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Stanley Acquah, had not responded to the allegations at the time of publication.
Efforts to reach him for his comments proved unsuccessful. The story will be updated should he respond.
Story by Yaw Boagyan
