Management of the New Kejetia market in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti region has imposed sanctions on owners of shops, who violated rules and regulations of the market.

Over a 100 shops have so far been closed down.

The traders are reported to have blocked electrical panels and fire hydrants inside the market while some have also blocked ways.

As part of the punishment, their shops will be closed for 24 hours.

Some affected traders spoke to Class 91.3 FM’s Ashanti regional correspondent Elisha Adarkwah.

A female trader, who was wailing explained that: “I was told I had exceeded the line or space allocated to me, meanwhile I haven’t, so they closed my shop.”  

"Saturday, I was told they would close my shop, I asked why, he told me my table had exceeded the line which is supposed to demarcate the space I was allocated. There are people who have committed the same offence, yet, they are still selling today, but my shop is closed," another trader revealed.

The Secretary for the Kejetia Traders Association, Reuben Amey, however, indicated that management gave reasons for closing the shops when the association approached them.

“This morning when I came, I realised that some of the traders were wailing that their shops had been locked due to some infractions or thereabout. 

“We also went close to management and management has told us the reasons why they locked the shops. But we also gave a counterproposal as in you cannot have the order of the day and then overnight you’ll say you’re changing over to a different normal, you need to communicate to the people you need to inform them what they’re supposed to do, what they’re not supposed to do," he said. 

The Secretary for the traders further continued that: “Even though we know from time immemorial they were not supposed to do that, but you allowed it for it to become the norm, so if you’re changing it, you need to inform them. So we have told management that from today onwards, for the next week or so they should do education in the market.”

He again revealed that the association will compel management to open the shops if their reasons for closing them down are unjustifiable.

“The Managing Director told me he has locked over 100 shops. He said he was going to open some. We’re yet to ask him how many has he opened and why have the rest not been open. If they’re justified, we’ll communicate back to you. If they’re not justified, we’ll force that they should be open,” the secretary for the traders association stated.