The Ho Municipal Network of the Governance Issues Forum (GIF-Net) has called on the Ho Municipal Assembly to build modern satellite markets and lorry stations in the Municipality.
This is because the existing main market and lorry station could no longer cope with the rapid growth and expansion of the municipality and its population.
The Network made the call at a training workshop on public deliberation and dialogue organised by the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG).
The GIF, introduced by the IDEG in 2004, seeks to empower citizens to participate actively and pro-actively in decision making and development planning at the local level.
The Ho Municipal GIF-Net said the Central Market in the Municipality had been overstretched to the extent that it could no longer hold the traders and customers within its “bowels” resulting in uncontrollable spill over onto its fringes on market days as people and vehicles struggle for space.
The Network also said the central market and lorry park lacked essential modern facilities such as toilets and urinals, and warehouses compelling the traders to build metal containers to serve as warehouses.
It said the shortcomings of the market tended to undermine security as some traders stayed on in the market to as late as 2100 hours waiting for porters to convey their wares to their homes.
Mr Kofi Tenasu Gbedemah, Ho Municipal Co-ordinator of GIF-Net, called on the Network members to strengthen their alliance in order to tap the expertise of each other for effectiveness.
He urged the Network to be relentless in the pursuit of the community good.
Mr Gbedemah also called on the member groups to be abreast with the Assembly’s bye-laws and other legislations on local governance so as to be able to argue their cases effectively
by building a strong alliance with the Media.
Mr Douglas Quartey, Project Officer of GIF at IDEG, said the best way to empower the citizenry for democratic governance was to offer them training in the techniques of engaging public
office holders.
He said constructive engagement with public office holders based on knowledge constituted a more potent approach to getting office holders to be receptive to the demands of the public.