The Minority Caucus in Parliament on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, visited the Kantamanto Market to commiserate with victims of the devastating fire that swept through a significant portion of the market in January this year.
The gesture was warmly received by market leaders and traders, many of whom are still struggling to rebuild their businesses.
Speaking at a brief ceremony, Member of Parliament for Effutu, Hon. Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, who led the Caucus, expressed heartfelt sympathy to the traders and urged them to stay united and resilient in the face of adversity.
“We came not just with words, but with action. The Minority Caucus stands with you. This donation is our way of showing that you are not alone in this journey to rebuild,” he said.
He commended the traders for their resilience and thanked them for joining the Minority MPs in prayer during the visit.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to worship with you today. It’s in difficult times like these that we find strength in unity and in God,” Afenyo-Markin added.
The Minority Leader also used the occasion to appeal for national unity and called on Ghanaians, especially the victims, to put aside political affiliations for the greater good of the country.
“Let us look beyond politics. What matters now is our collective strength to rebuild. Ghana belongs to all of us, and peace is the only path to meaningful progress,” he emphasized.
Other Members of Parliament on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus who joined the visit to offer words of encouragement and solidarity include the Minority Chief Whip and his first Deputy, Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh (Nsawam/Adoagyiri) and Hon. Jerry Ahmed Shaib (Weija-Gbawe).
The support to the Kantamanto traders comes on the heels of a similar donation by the Minority Caucus to fire victims at the Adum PZ Market in Kumasi.
Hon. Afenyo-Markin also led a delegation to the Ashanti Region, where they donated GH₵200,000 to affected traders and pledged parliamentary advocacy on their behalf.
“Beyond these donations, we are taking your plight to the floor of Parliament. We will push for the necessary interventions and support packages to help you bounce back stronger,” he assured traders at both markets.
He also called on President John Dramani Mahama and the current NDC administration to expedite efforts to reconstruct the affected markets, “This is not the time for bureaucracy. We are urging the government to act swiftly. These traders are the backbone of our economy, and they deserve our full support,” he urged.
Aikins Boakye Mensah, who received the GH₵200,000 donation from the Minority Caucus on behalf of the Kantamanto traders, expressed profound gratitude for the timely support. He described the gesture as a lifeline for many traders who lost their goods and capital in the devastating January fire and assured that the funds would be used transparently and for the intended purpose.
“We are deeply thankful to the Minority Caucus, especially Hon. Afenyo-Markin, for remembering us in our time of need. I want to assure you all that the money will be used responsibly to support the most affected traders as they begin to rebuild their lives and businesses,” he said.
He also called on other leaders and institutions to follow the example set by the Minority and support efforts to restore the once-vibrant market.