Tain tastes
the fruits of a metropolis
Nsawkaw (B/A), Jan. 3, Ghanadot/GNA – Nsawkaw, Tain District
capital, enjoyed the “fruits” of a metropolis for a short
while, after the area became the decider for the 2008
presidential election run-off.
The capital became a field day for traders, who engaged in
brisk businesses, following the influx of people from the
length and breadth of the country ostensibly to offer
support for their political parties in the Tain election
re-run on January 2, 2009.
After the 2008 presidential run-off on December 28, 2008 in
229 constituencies, no winner emerged and the Tain
Constituency (where the re-run election could take place)
became the spotlight to determine the overall results. The
Electoral Commission, therefore, agreed to wait for the
election in Tain before declaring the results.
Thousands of supporters of the two parties, hundreds of
security personnel and journalists from local and
international media thronged Tain in anticipation of the
outcome of the results after voting.
The booming businesses which concentrated mainly in Nsawkaw
saw food vendors, “chop and drinking bars” operators, cloth
sellers, and way side automobile mechanics and vulganizers
enjoyed abnormal profits as prices were reported to have
escalated due to increased demands.
Madam Janet Danquah, a chop bar operator told the Ghana News
Agency (GNA) that her daily sales had increased tremendously
as a result of the polls.
“I used to sell only one maxi sized metal pot of fufu a day,
but for the past three days I have been selling five pots a
day,” she said.
The situation also attracted food vendors and other
retailers’ business people from outside the constituency
some commuted from nearby towns and villages and stayed in
Nsawkaw the three days before election.
Mariama Usman, rice and stew seller and a resident of Wenchi
said she sells once a week at the Wednesday market at
Subinso, near Wenchi, but with the election in Tain, she was
able to make sales each at Nsawkaw.
“Usually I am able to sell a quarter of a maxi bag of rice,
which is a one maxi sized metal pot after cooking but today
I have been able to sell one maxi bag of cooked rice”, she
added.
Nana Abena Gyamfua, a store keeper wished such occasion
would be “perpetual” in the town because the goods in her
store such as ladies and gents jeans wares, white polyester
materials have all been sold out.
“I brought those items for the Christmas season but the
election activities over-shadowed everything but now the 60
pairs of jeans and five bundles of white polyester have all
been bought by the NDC supporters,” she said.
Nana Gyamfua was of the view that the jubilant followers of
NDC were going to use the jeans and the white material for
jubilation should the EC declare the final results of the
run-off in their favour.
Abdulrahman Amadu, a “Khebab” meat seller said his usual
daily sales of about GH¢8 increased to GH¢50 a day.
A drinking bar attendant, Beatrice Addai said her quantity
of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages went up, saying
before December 31, the maximum sale of Guinness was three
crates but “now we are selling at least 20 crates a day”.
GNA
