‘Is that how his father ruled Ghana?’ – Wenchi market traders fume at Akufo-Addo

In a display of frustration, some traders at Wenchi market in the Bono Region have voiced their deep disappointment with the ruling government, citing economic hardship as the primary cause.

The aggrieved traders, captured in a widely shared video on Facebook, passionately lamented their dire circumstances both in their personal lives and within the marketplace.

They expressed their disillusionment with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, urging their fellow citizens to abandon the party’s popular slogan of “breaking the eight” in the upcoming 2024 general elections in reference to securing a third consecutive term.

They claimed that the current administration, led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had failed to fulfill their expectations, exacerbating their financial struggles.

One particularly vocal trader, who identified himself as Face, directly addressed President Akufo-Addo, highlighting the fact that his late father had also held the presidency in Ghana. Face questioned whether the president’s governance reflected the same dedication and competence exhibited by his father during his tenure.

“He wants to break the 8, but if he doesn’t take care, one and a quarter he won’t even get. Senior man, I have been struggling to make ends meet. I haven’t had enough money to buy food all this while, it is only water I have been drinking now.

“He is joking about breaking the 8 in Ghana. Maybe in his hometown, Kyebi, but even there, I doubt he can achieve one and a quarter,” Face exclaimed.

He added “Senior man, the country has become very hard to live in, you, if you like ask a P2 student and he will tell you the country is hard…I have been ringing this bell for the whole day yet I haven’t even gotten one million (hundred Ghana cedis) for my sales.

“We are talking from the Wenchi market. This is a terrible government, is that how his father ruled Ghana?”

Another trader expressed the dire financial situation they were facing, stating, “Sir, you’re here talking about one million [referring to sales], but since morning I haven’t even made 40 cedis. Nana [Akufo-Addo] should be careful with how he governs the country because the way he keeps borrowing is killing us.”

The traders highlighted the disconnect between the government’s claims of a prosperous economy and the reality they experienced daily. They pointed out the contradiction of being told they were sitting on wealth while simultaneously enduring hunger and financial hardship.

“He said we are sitting on money but we are hungry but now we are sitting on money but at the same time…we are feeling the heat,” one of them added.