Asesewa is a small town and the district capital of the Upper Manya Krobo district in the Eastern region of Ghana.
It is a historic trading post with a mix of cultures from all over Ghana and it is located about 45 km from the regional capital of Eastern region, Koforidua.
In the early Nineties, the Asesewa market could have been said to be the biggest market in Ghana and until date it is still relevant to the food basket of the country.
A primary three (class 3) reading book told the story of the Asesewa market and how vibrant it was in the Eastern Region.
A typical Friday at Asesewa is a very busy day with traders from all the surrounding communities; talk about the likes of Kokoney, Bisa, Brepaw, Akateng, Sekesua, Dedesu etc, coming in to do business.
Nonetheless, other communities from other Districts and Municipalities like Yilo Krobo, Lower Manya Krobo, Accra, Shai Osudoku inter alia also come to Asesewa every Friday to trade. Some bring goods other than food stuffs ranging from electronic gadgets to clothes, plastic wares to herbal medicines and so on to sell to farmers who equally bring foods ranging from Vegetables, tubers and grains to already processed foods like Gari and cooking oils.
Others bring Fish and Livestock (Sheep, Goats and Cattle) to sell.
In spite of all the revenue generated from the almighty Asesewa market, development in the District especially in the rural communities are slugging. Road network, Basic Infrastructure and utility (Water, Electricity and Telecommunication Network) are the main problems facing the District.
So, one will ask, where does those monies go?
In as much as I don’t want to talk about the politics in the area, we cannot also leave out the factor of political influence on the internal revenues and the common funds. These monies are controlled by politicians.
I took a tour in and around the Asesewa market and the place has nothing to say to posterity.
Anyone who read the story of the Asesewa market, ‘A Market Day at Asesewa’ from the nineties would assume the place should be at a certain level compared to today’s Kejetia Market, Makola Market, Sunyani Market and many more which are now in modern states with state of the art facilities that makes trade very attractive and convenient.
State of the Market
Today the Asesewa market is dusty with traders still using wooden stalls. The few concrete stalls are only used on Fridays when everyone is around, after that they are left empty while regular market women keep selling in the old wooden stalls.
There are no proper walking layouts for persons who come there for various commercial activities considering persons with different forms of disability.
Toilet facilities and washrooms are better not talked about as they are in very deplorable and inconvenient states.
Filth is one thing we cannot keep silent about when talking about markets. On most Fridays, I see a few people in uniforms (ZoomLion) cleaning the place but what do we see on the other days? Filth!
In spite of all these, I would urge everyone to visit Asesewa on a Friday to have a feel of what they read in the class three reader. “A Market Day at Asesewa”.