A misunderstanding has erupted between merchants affected by the current hearth that ravaged the Kantamanto Market, in Accra, and their management over the disbursement of donations acquired for rebuilding the power.
The confusion arose on Friday on the Kantamanto Market after the market leaders organised a gathering to distribute GH¢1million money donation from President John Dramani Mahama.
With 7,000 merchants eligible for help, every was to obtain GH¢125.00, a determine that angered many victims, who accused the management of mismanaging the funds.
The victims argued that a number of organisations had donated numerous sums of cash, but many merchants claimed that they had not acquired any direct monetary help.
Nevertheless, Secretary of the Kantamanto Market, Mr Adutwum Atta Manu, refuted the claims, explaining that a good portion of all of the funds acquired from numerous organisations and people had been used for rebuilding the market.
“The donations weren’t solely meant for particular person handouts. Many of the funds had been used to purchase roofing sheets, lumber and cement to reconstruct the market at a subsidised value for merchants,” he instructed Ghanaian Occasions in an interview over the weekend.
He said that numerous media stories, that declare that GH¢2.8 million in donations have been acquired and stay undistributed, lacks context.
“The broadly publicised GH¢2.8 million donation was largely made up of in-kind contributions, together with constructing supplies, whereas money donations out there for discretionary use totaled GH¢781, 200,” Mr Manu defined.
“Out of this quantity, GH¢336,782 had already been spent on market reconstruction, leaving GH¢414,418, which shall be accounted for,” he stated.
Mr Manu famous that the Or Basis, a non-profit organisation, working with the merchants, had disbursed GH¢2,500 to over 5,500 affected merchants, with plans to help 10,000 victims, together with head porters.
“This disbursement is managed solely by the Or Basis, and market leaders haven’t any affect over who will get what,” Mr Manu clarified.
He urged the merchants to understand the collective effort in restoring the market as a substitute of focusing solely on particular person money handouts.
“Due to the generosity of donors, the burden of rebuilding has been lowered. We should deal with restoration slightly than division,” Mr Manu added.
The Kantamanto Market management thanked all people and organisations that contributed in the direction of the reconstruction, urging the media to confirm data earlier than publication, to forestall misinformation that might undermine ongoing efforts work.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU
