Member of Parliament for Kpandai, Matthew Nyindam, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of using its proposed 24-hour market project to divert attention from what he described as its failure to implement the promised 24-hour economy.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr Nyindam argued that the government had promised to create jobs through a 24-hour economy and not merely construct new markets.
“Why isn’t the Kaneshie Market operating 24 hours a day if it’s that simple? Or is it because it wasn’t built by the NDC? The NDC has failed, which is why it has shifted its focus to building markets as a cover-up. They cannot outsmart Ghanaians by constructing markets while people are still waiting for the implementation of the 1:3:3 formula,” he said.
According to the MP, the length of time a government spends in office is not what determines its effectiveness.
He maintained that the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s Agenda 111 hospital project was a more ambitious initiative than the NDC’s current market proposal.
“Governance has nothing to do with the years you are in power. They promised a 24-hour economy when coming to power. They said they would create jobs, not build 24-hour markets,” he stated.
“The Agenda 111 we started is far bigger than what they are doing,” he said.
Mr Nyindam argued that the government had abandoned its flagship campaign promise of implementing a 24-hour economy and was instead promoting the construction of markets.
He noted that several businesses, including pharmacies, bars and shops, already operate around the clock without any special government intervention.
“They have failed totally when it comes to the 24-hour economy they promised. They now want to use the 24-hour market as a cover-up. That’s not what they promised,” he asserted.
“Some pharmacies, shops and bars already operate 24 hours. They have not piloted anything,” he said.
Mr Nyindam stressed that constructing new markets alone would not automatically create jobs or transform the economy into a 24-hour one.
“It is not about building new markets. There is Kaneshie, Agbogbloshie and other markets. Are they operating 24 hours? How does building a new market stimulate jobs?” he questioned.
“It is good to build a market. I am not against that. But the fact that you build a market doesn’t mean it will operate 24 hours. The already existing markets, why aren’t they operating 24 hours?” he asked.
Mr Nyindam further argued that the government had yet to demonstrate how it intended to implement its promised one-job, three-shift policy.
“There is nothing the NDC has done to show that they are creating one job, three shifts. The markets do not automatically translate into a 24-hour economy,” he added.
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