A growing controversy over the siting of government’s flagship 24-hour economy model markets has engulfed the Wa and Jirapa municipalities, with local authorities, traders and traditional leaders sharply divided over where the projects should be located.
In Wa, public anxiety mounted after reports suggested that a basic school could be demolished to make way for the proposed market.
Community members and education advocates argued that sacrificing an operational primary school for commercial infrastructure would undermine children’s welfare and contradict the government’s development goals.
Addressing the concerns, traditional authorities insisted that the fears were based on misinformation rather than fact.
Spokesperson for the Waala Traditional Council, Jinpensi Naa Kaadiri Ibrahim, explained that the Tendanba Primary School would not be scrapped but relocated to share premises with the nearby junior high school, similar to an arrangement already implemented at the Fungo JHS.
“I have taken note of the controversy concerning the location of the 24-hour economy market on a school premises and it has been resolved adequately so we can talk of education with a straight face,” he said, stressing that consultations had been held with the Wala Traditional Council and other stakeholders.
He added that Wa could not afford to miss out on the national initiative, which promises markets for every district.
While Wa debates the implications for education, Jirapa’s dispute is rooted in economics and equity.
Relatedly, leaders in the Hain Zonal Council are demanding that the long-abandoned Hain Market project be completed and upgraded into the municipality’s 24-hour economy hub instead of siting the facility elsewhere.
At a press conference led by Assembly Member, Joseph Viele, the council described the unfinished market as a symbol of neglect that has persisted for more than two decades.
Initiated in 2000 under the Jubilee Market Programme, the project stalled after a change in government and has never been fully completed.
Despite recent interventions, only two of six planned market blocks are near completion, with no clear timeline for finishing the rest.
“Development that stalls for over two decades ceases to be a technical challenge and becomes a governance failure,” Mr Viele mentioned.
The council backed its case with revenue figures that highlight the economic strength of Hain.
Internally Generated Funds from the zone rose steadily from GH¢67,860 in 2023 to GH¢83,513 in 2024 alone.
The revenue continued to surge further to GH¢102,906 in 2025.
Between January and April 2025 alone, Hain contributed nearly 61 per cent of the municipality’s total zonal revenue, far outpacing all other councils combined.
Traditional authorities say those numbers make a compelling argument for investing in the Hain market.
The Chief of Lang-Ullo, Imoro Kaweu, described the situation as unjust, noting that traders continue to operate under makeshift sheds without proper sanitation or storage facilities.
“The child who fetches water also deserves to drink,” he noted, urging authorities to return development benefits to the area that generates the most income.
Market women echoed the call. A second-hand clothing trader and mother of five said a properly built 24-hour facility in Hain would expand trading hours and improve safety and livelihoods.
For many residents, the success of the 24-hour economy will depend not only on new buildings, but on fair siting decisions that reflect community needs and protect existing social services.
FROM NAZIRU ALHASSAN,
HAIN
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