Residents of Krofrom in Kumasi have expressed frustration over what they describe as years of neglect and unfulfilled promises by successive governments regarding the completion of the Krofrom Market project.
Construction of the market, which commenced in 2009, remains incomplete after 17 years. The abandoned structure, currently estimated to be about 70 percent complete, has become a haven for miscreants.
A visit by Adom News reporter Kwadwo Obeng Mireku to the site revealed that minimal effort would be required to make the facility operational, yet it has been left idle.
Residents in the area told Adom News that although some contractors visited the site about three weeks ago to clear weeds and desilt choked gutters, no work has continued since then.
Yaw Wiafe, a shoemaker who has worked behind the market for over two decades, is skeptical of recent assurances by the Kumasi Mayor that the facility would be ready for use by December this year.
“No work is currently ongoing on the market. Even if work resumes now, it cannot be completed within eight months. So how can we celebrate Christmas here? Politicians are playing with our intelligence on this project,” he said.
According to him, at least six Metropolitan Chief Executives have overseen the project over the years, yet none has ensured its completion.
“If the government understood the economic impact this market could have on the Ashanti Region and beyond, it would have been completed and commissioned long ago,” he added.
Some traders have also appealed to the government to prioritize the completion of the Krofrom Market before the end of its tenure.
Adom News’ independent checks at the site confirmed that there is currently no active construction. Heavy-duty equipment, including caterpillars and bulldozers, have reportedly remained idle at the site for the past three weeks.
Further observations revealed that some of the abandoned stalls are now being used as places of worship by certain groups.
Although the area is not overgrown, residents believe the government could complete the multi-million-dollar project within a short period if it is given the needed attention, ultimately boosting trading activities in the region.
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