From Edmond Gyebi
The Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area, Buipewura Mahama Jinapor II, has passionately appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to critically look at the deplorable state of the Buipe market, and direct resources for its development to befit its status as one of the largest markets in the Northern Region.
The Buipe Market attracts traders from Kumasi, Techiman, Dormaa, Berekum, Sunyani, Krachi, Bimbilla, Yendi, Salaga, Makango, Tamale, Wa, Bolgatanga, Bawku and almost all the regions of Ghana.
It is also patronised by traders from neighbouring Burkina Faso, Togo and Niger, who usually deal in cattle, goats, tomatoes, and onions.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle at his royal palace in Buipe, the Chief expressed his deepest disappointment at successive governments unjustifiably neglecting the Buipe market, which, he indicated, had the biggest potential to generate massive revenue for the nation.
Buipewura Jinapor II was confident that when given the needed attention or facelift, the Buipe market would inarguably rub shoulders with the Techiman market, in terms of patronage and revenue generation.
Buipe is the gateway to the three Northern regions, neighbouring Burkina Faso, and Niger, and the market has become attractive to traders because it offers them the opportunity to transport goods to and from the southern part of Ghana, through the Volta Lake.
The Buipe market is strategically located between the main Kumasi-Burkina Faso trunk road and the Buipe Inland Port on the Black Volta.
It is also the central point for all the fishing communities along the White and Black Volta rivers, as well as those along the other major rivers, and even those from the coastal areas of Ghana to do business.
Apart from the fish, the market has the comparative advantage over others, due to the large sale of cattle, goats, sheep, and guinea fowls.
The Buipe market is also noted for the availability of large quantities of yams, groundnuts, sorghum, soya bean, dawadawa, okra, pepper, tomatoes, watermelon and a host of other crops, fruits and vegetables.
The market also witnesses the display of different types of farm inputs, cooking utensils, electrical appliances, clothing, and other items that are useful in the homes.
However, the nature of the market leaves much to be desired, especially, during the rainy seasons.
The Chronicle discovered that most of the items, including tomatoes, pepper, onion, garden eggs, oranges, carrots, groundnut paste, palm oil and so many other perishable and delicate items were displayed openly on the muddy ground for buyers to purchase.
Cargo trucks, passenger vehicles and truck pushers also struggle with buyers and traders, as they either load or offload their goods in the market. In most cases, the vehicles end up splashing muddy water onto the buyers, traders, and their products.
Some of the traders, who boldly spoke to The Chronicle, including Madam Elizabeth Ansah, Maame Blackie and Madam Rabi (all fish sellers), accused the government, and for that matter the Central Gonja District Assembly, of neglecting the market for far too long.
According to the traders, the government, through the District Assembly, collected taxes from them on a daily basis, and yet very little or nothing was done to improve the state of the market.
They asserted that most of the traders were in the fish business using loans from banks and other micro-finance companies, but the state of the market always put them at a loss, since they could not sell whenever there was little or heavy rain.
“During dry seasons too, all the muddy areas also turn very dusty, so we have to battle with the scorching sun and dust, because vehicles also pass through the market. We don’t even have stores in the market, so as you (referring to this reporter) can see, anytime it is raining or whenever we close from the market, we have to convey all our fish to our homes. Some of us come from far communities, and supposing you have 30 or 50 baskets of dry fish, and you are to pack all of them during rains, definitely, you will lose most of them to the rain.”
The frustrated traders lamented that because of the high losses, the majority of the women had left of the market, because they could not pay their creditors, who always threaten to seize their goods or have them arrested.
One Abednego Nortah, a fisherman, also called for refrigerators and other storage facilities to enable them store their excess fish to reduce wastage and losses.
What compounded the deplorable state of the Buipe market, The Chronicle discovered, was the absence of places of convenience, refuse containers and drainage systems.
Both male and female traders face each other to defecate and urinate in open spaces and nearby bushes.
Meanwhile, Buipe is the leading commercial hub of the Northern Sector, as businesses continue to relocate to the area. One of the largest cement producing companies in Ghana, Savannah Cement Company Limited (SAVACEM), is located in Buipe.
The area also serves as the transit point for the offloading and distribution of petroleum products to the northern sector, cement from the Ghana Cement Company (GHACEM), Volta Cement Company (Diamond Cement) and other metal and aluminum companies which supply the north through the Buipe Port.
Almost all the cargo trucks that ply from the neighbouring countries to the southern part of Ghana also use Buipe as their resting place for days before continuing their journey.
Buipewura Jinapor II, also a former Police Commander, lamented the neglect of the town by successive governments, which, he indicated, had reduced or affected the socio-economic fortunes of the area.
The Paramount Chief ardently called on the ruling government to construct the Buipe market into a modern business or commercial centre with stores, walkways, car parks, sanitation facilities, slaughter houses, and fridges for the fishermen to store their excess fish among others.