Tension is brewing amongst traders, drivers and youths of Tongor-Dzemeni in the south Dayi district in the Volta Region over what they described as neglect of governments over the poor road network leading to a major market in the district.
Tuesdays and Fridays are market day in Dzemeni. The market attracts businessmen and women from major cities in the country. These include Accra, Kumasi and Koforidua however; the residents are attributing low sales and lack of vibrancy of the market to the bad road connecting the market to other areas from Asikuma junction through Anum-Boso in the Eastern region to the market at Dzemeni.
The market which positions itself as a fishing hub in the Volta region trades in tilapia and all kinds of fishes fried, smoked and dry.
Tongor-Dzemeni surrounded by the Volta Lake is predominantly a fishing community. On market days, people from all walks of life throng the market to trade with most of them crossing the river from the Afram plains to sell their goods.
The Dzemeni market has been a ‘must go to’ market over the years in the South Dayi district however, the residents are worried the bad road network is the main reason the market is losing its vibrancy as drivers are complaining of using their sales to buy spare parts, traders lamenting customers reluctance in coming to the market due to the bad nature of the road.
In light of these, the drivers, traders and youths are threatening to embark on series of protest to draw the attention of the government to the deplorable nature of the road.
Some of the traders are also threatening to resist paying tolls in the market as they say “we don’t know what the Assembly is using the money for, we don’t see any development here yet we continue to pay tax, why?”
A concerned resident, Lawson Dablu who spoke to the Republic Press said “people usually come from the cities, particularly Accra to buy fish, look, because of the Volta Lake, majority of our people here are fishermen while their wives smoke, fry and dry the fish. Now their customers can’t come to the market again because of the bad roads, our leaders have tried to draw government’s attention to this important road but to no avail, we will be hitting the streets soon”.
