Omanghana
Veteran broadcaster Paul Adom-Otchere has criticized the demolition of existing commercial structures to make way for markets being constructed under President John Dramani Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy program.
The host of Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana questioned the government’s approach to implementing the policy, particularly its effect on traders whose shops and workplaces have been pulled down.
“They demolish buildings and tell us they’re building 24-hour markets,” Adom-Otchere said during an editorial on the programme.
His comments followed growing complaints from traders and business owners affected by redevelopment exercises in some communities selected for the construction of new markets.
The government’s plan involves the development of 261 modern markets at the district level as part of the broader 24-Hour Economy policy. The facilities are expected to operate beyond traditional business hours and provide improved infrastructure for traders, customers and service providers.
Plans for the markets include around-the-clock banking services, health clinics, police posts and cold-storage facilities. The government says these features will help reduce post-harvest losses, improve security and create an environment where commercial activity can continue at different times of the day.
President Mahama has visited several communities to perform sod-cutting ceremonies for the projects. Locations associated with the rollout include Asesewa, Assin Bereku and Juapong.
Supporters of the programme argue that modernizing markets could stimulate local economies, improve sanitation and create employment. They also believe extended operating hours could help businesses serve more customers and generate additional income.
The implementation process, however, has generated controversy in areas where existing structures must be cleared before construction begins.
One of the most widely discussed incidents occurred at the Kasoa New Market in late May 2026. Several shops, corn mills and cassava mills were demolished to clear the area for a project connected to the 24-Hour Economy initiative.
Affected traders complained that the exercise disrupted their livelihoods. Some claimed there had been inadequate consultation and uncertainty over compensation, temporary relocation and their prospects of securing space in the new facility once completed.
For many petty traders, daily commercial activity remains their primary source of household income. Critics therefore argue that demolishing existing shops before providing suitable alternatives could deepen financial hardship among the people the projects are intended to support.
Adom-Otchere’s criticism focused on what he considers a contradiction in the implementation strategy: destroying active businesses in the present while promising improved commercial opportunities in the future.
The broadcaster’s remarks also reflect wider questions about whether every district has the security, transportation, electricity and customer demand needed to sustain a market operating throughout the day and night.
Sceptics have called on the government to provide clearer information about how the facilities will function, how operating costs will be financed and what protections will be offered to traders displaced during construction.
They also want local assemblies to engage affected people before carrying out demolition exercises and to establish transparent arrangements for compensation, relocation and the allocation of stores.
The government maintains that the 24-Hour Economy program is intended to expand productivity, generate jobs and transform Ghana into an economy that operates beyond conventional working hours.
As construction progresses, however, the treatment of displaced traders is likely to remain a major test of public confidence in the initiative. Critics insist that the pursuit of modern infrastructure must not come at the expense of people whose existing businesses depend on the sites being redeveloped.
Source: Omanghana
