Kumasi: Central Market Traders reject NDC worm infested maize, rice

The Ashanti Regional National Democratic Congress (NDC) seems to have incurred the displeasure of traders of the Kumasi Central Market. The angry traders, who are mostly women, surprisingly rejected items the NDC presented to them to lessen their burden. The affected traders suffered huge losses when fire gutted about 400 stores in the Kumasi Central Market some few days ago. Foodstuffs and other valuable items that the traders kept in the stores were gutted by the ferocious fire. Ashanti Regional NDC Women’s Organizer, Hajiya Sadique reportedly made the presentation on behalf of her party at the market. She presented 60 bags of rice, bags of maize, mosquito nets, gallons of cooking oil and second-hand clothing to the fire victims. But the traders virtually rejected the ruling political party’s offer, insisting that they don’t need such items.

According to the traders, the maize presented by the NDC were infested with worms, adding that the rice was substandard. The traders noted that they needed roofing sheets and wood to reconstruct their stores and not the worm infested maize presented by the NDC.

Hajiya Sadique, who spoke to Don Dada of Otec FM, expressed shock about the attitude of the women. She said the traders welcomed her with open arms at the market and thanked her for the kind gesture by the NDC after the presentation. Hajiya Sadique disclosed that the traders had politicized the issue, noting that the NDC did nothing wrong by supporting them.

The Ashanti Regional NDC Women’s Organizer said she did not discriminate in the distribution of the items, noting that the items were meant to help Ghanaians, who had been affected by the fire outbreak. Meanwhile, Alhaji Sanni, a top NDC member in the region, has asked the traders to give the items to NDC members in the market if they don’t want them.