The Bono East Regional Minister, Francis Owusu Antwi, has warned the contractor working on the Nkoranza South 24-hour market project to speed up work or risk having the contract terminated.
Mr. Antwi expressed strong dissatisfaction with the pace of work during an inspection tour of the project site on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
He disclosed that the region has 11 markets under the government’s 24-hour market initiative, categorized into Model 1, Model 2 and Model 3, with the Nkoranza Municipality project falling under Model 2.
According to him, Model 1 markets have more facilities and therefore more workload than Model 2, yet progress at the Techiman Model 1 site, which he inspected with journalists, is far advanced with some areas already at the casting level, while Nkoranza is still at the substructure level.
“This is highly unacceptable and we are not going to allow them to go on this tangent. The speed of work is not what is required. So they must improve,” the Minister stated.
Mr. Antwi noted that the Nkoranza contractor was among the first in the region to be awarded a contract, hence there is no justification for the delay.
“If they can’t do the work, they should initiate the process for us to terminate the project. I am sounding this caution to the contractor – they must speed up. It is very important,” he warned.
He stressed that the 24-hour market is a key project in the NDC manifesto aimed at transforming the local economy, noting that the facility will include a police station, clinic, fire post, restaurants and other ancillary facilities, in addition to creating employment opportunities for the youth.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for Nkoranza South, Godfred Dapaah, has corroborated the Minister’s concerns.
According to Mr. Dapaah, the Assembly has on several occasions complained to the contractor and to other authorities who have visited the site.
“Just recently, a team from the Presidency came here and we lodged a complaint. Yesterday, the District Assemblies Common Fund team was here and we lodged the same complaint. The contractor is far behind schedule. They have to call him to order to speed up,” he said.
Asked whether he fears the project may not meet its deadline, Mr. Dapaah said the Assembly is holding the contractor to his promise.
“They have promised to complete everything within 24 months and so we are hoping they will go by their word,” he added.
Mr. Antwi has therefore called on all stakeholders to help monitor the project and report any infractions for prompt action.
