Tensions are running high at Kumasi’s Kejetia Market as butchers protest the market management’s recent seizure of their timber logs. The move, aimed at enforcing payment of electricity bills, has sparked significant outrage among the butchers, who argue they are being unfairly targeted.
According to a report by CitiNewsRoom, the butchers have been paying their electricity bills in installments and feel they are being treated more harshly compared to other groups within the market.
The controversy follows a recent power disconnection by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), which cut off electricity to the entire market due to outstanding arrears of over seven million Ghana cedis.
After a two-day blackout, market management secured a payment plan with ECG to restore power. However, the decision to seize the butchers’ timber logs has escalated tensions. The butchers are now demanding an apology from the management and have threatened legal action if the situation is not resolved.
Cosmos Kutuss Adda, Secretary of the Central Market Butchers Association, voiced the butchers’ concerns during a news conference, highlighting the perceived unfair treatment and its detrimental impact on their livelihoods. “We are being pushed to the brink, and we will not hesitate to take legal action if this continues,” Adda stated.
This ongoing issue at Kejetia Market underscores the broader challenges facing traders, especially as power supply issues persist.
