By Ghana News
Copyright ghanamma
A tense land dispute at the CMB market has left hundreds of traders, mostly single mothers, fearing for their future. Helena Naa Quarco, a prominent businesswoman at the market, spoke out in an emotional interview, pleading with the government to intervene and protect their source of livelihood.
A Trader’s Claim and a Community’s Despair
According to Quarco, the land’s ownership was first contested just last year when a man identified as Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Nyarko Appiah appeared, claiming the land belonged to him and presenting what he said were legal documents.
”Just last year we were here and one Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Nyarko Appiah came to just informed us the land belongs to him,” she recounted. “He came with indentures claiming the land belongs to him.”
She explained that while construction was initially halted by a court injunction, the businessman, due to his financial power, was able to quickly build “three cluster storey buildings” within a year. Now, he has returned to claim the rest of the land, putting the livelihoods of over 1,000 people—with women constituting over 80%—at risk.
A Single Mother’s Struggle
Quarco’s personal story highlights the dire situation faced by many of the market women. A single mother for two decades, she depends on the market to support her four children, all of whom are pursuing higher education.
”I have four kids,” she shared. “My first born is just done with the University and undertaking his National Service. The other three are studying at the University of Ghana, Legon, but there is no man who is helping out. This is what I do, this is where I live, and this is what I do to take care of my children because we have nowhere to go.”
She emphasized that the market is their “source of livelihood,” and relocating without a viable alternative would be catastrophic. “If you tell us to vacate the land then where are you taking us to?” she questioned. “The government should intervene for us because we have nowhere to go. If the government has a plan for us, a market for us, we are willing to go. We have no issue with the
government. We have no issue with anybody.”
A Call for Proof and Action
Quarco’s plea was not just for government intervention, but also for transparency from the claimant. “If the land belongs to him, if the land belongs to Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Nyarko Appiah, then he should provide the indenture,” she stated, adding that the women are not being biased but simply want legal proof.
She ended her impassioned plea by stressing the importance of her work in the face of her responsibilities. “I have certificates, I have no white-collar job. My kids have certificates, and they are not working,” she said. “What are you telling me? Should I sit down as a lazy woman? I have been a single mother for 20 solid years, and look at this. This is where my livelihood is. This is where I come to take care of my kids. And you’re telling me I shouldn’t come to work again. I should just sleep idle as a lazy woman.”
By Kingsley Asiedu
