Executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Mankarigu Zone of the Savannah Region have protested a decision to relocate a proposed 24-hour economy market from Mankarigu to Daboya, describing the move as unfair and detrimental to local development.
At a press conference held on Tuesday, the party executives accused authorities of undermining revenue generation in the North Gonja District and marginalising residents of Mankarigu and its surrounding communities.
They argued that the Mankarigu market has historically been the largest and most vibrant trading centre in the district, contributing significantly to the Assembly’s internally generated funds (IGF).
According to the executives, the market attracts traders from Burkina Faso as well as Ghana’s Northern, Upper East, North East and Savannah regions and has been in operation since before Ghana’s independence in 1957.
They maintained that the market’s strategic importance and long-standing economic role justified its selection as the site for the proposed 24-hour economy market.
The group further alleged that the Savannah Regional Minister, who is acting as the District Chief Executive, is seeking to divert the project to Daboya despite earlier arrangements that had secured land for the market’s expansion in Mankarigu.
They claimed a consultant had already submitted the necessary site coordinates to authorities in Accra before the decision to relocate the project emerged.
The executives also questioned the rationale behind the proposed relocation, noting that Daboya has already benefited from several major development projects, including the Savannah College of Education, an Agenda 111 Hospital, two senior high schools and a cattle ranch.
In a strongly worded statement, the executives expressed frustration over what they described as deliberate neglect. “We feel cheated, neglected, and marginalised. Diverting the market would deny the people of Mankarigu and surrounding villages their birthright,” the statement said.
The NDC executives have therefore called on the party’s regional and national leadership to intervene to ensure that the 24-hour economy market remains in Mankarigu as originally planned. As of the time of filing this report, the national leadership of the NDC had not publicly responded to the appeal.
