No rush for Xmas in Volta Region
Although Christmas is just around the corner, there seems to be no special frenzy in shopping and transportation activities in the Volta Region. Several shops are overflowing with goods but there is no rush for them because of perceived low purchasing power of potential buyers with a high rate of window shopping.
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Shopping
At the Ho central market, traders told the Daily Graphic they were disappointed about the low sales they were making.
A woman who sells children’s clothing and other fancy dresses, Madam Evelyn Dzamefe, said sales during the year were bad because prices were high and patronage very low. “This year, it is worse and quality goods are non-existent on the market,” she said.
She attributed some of the challenges to the source of supply of her goods that claimed the dollar rate had gone high and that the election petition in court had also contributed to unstable supply of goods and contributed to the high prices.
Another woman who sells textiles exclaimed, “no buying at all, no increase in prices too!” She said although the CFA exchange rate had gone high and had affected prices, she had not translated the cost to consumers.
According to her, many potential buyers had restrained themselves from spending in view of the high school fees they would be paying when schools reopens. “There is no sign like Christmas is coming. No, there are no special Christmas sales,” she said.
The price of a fowl ranged from GH¢ 25 at the farm gate to GH¢30 at the market, while an average goat was selling between GH¢100 and GH¢200 with average tubers of yam selling between GH¢10 and GH¢15.
However, movement of people to the shopping malls that had emerged in the Ho township had diverted shopping for provisions to those malls which provided one-stop shopping and close late at night, making it convenient for shoppers.
Transportation
There is lower inflow of passengers from other areas into Ho than the outflow to Accra and other cities. According to operators of transport unions, vehicles bound for Ho got locked up in Accra because of lack of passengers and were sceptical whether the trend would change as Christmas got nearer. Lorry fares, however, remain unchanged. Air-conditioned vehicles from Ho to Accra charge GH¢12 with ordinary ones charging GH¢10.
According to the Ho branch chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Mr Michael Sonkro, there was no increase in the numbers of passengers travelling in and out and that the lorry park had rather been crowded with empty vehicles than passengers.
He noted that the departure of a large number of students for holidays registered an abnormal increase in the number of passengers in recent times but was temporary, and that there was no hope as to whether the passenger rate could increase as Christmas got nearer with the speculation that many people were cash-strapped these days.
The situation at the Hohoe and Aflao stations to the northern and southern sectors respectively remained unchanged as there had been no increase in fares, as well as the numbers of passengers. “If there should be a change in the traffic situation because of the Christmas season it should have started by now,” a union chairman remarked.
Security
Police visibility in the Ho municipality has increased as policemen were seen are stationed at all vantage points in the town, especially at residential areas to provide security to the people.
Religion
Religious conventions have already started. A crusade dubbed, “Christmas Convention 2013”at the forecourt of the Ho stadium has begun by the Ho-Area Dome District of the Church of Pentecost and the New Covenant Apostolic Church has also organised a six-day power packed feast of tabernacle convention for the season to be held at Rural Training Centre (RTC) park.
In a Christmas message, the Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana, and the president of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rt Rev. Francis Amenu said with Christ’s advent into the world, there was the possibility for humankind to escape from the darkness of ignorance and disease, superstition, poverty, moral decadence, indiscipline, corruption, greed, immorality and materialism.
He said the people of God must purposefully shun all forms of corrupt practices at every level of the social structure and strive to facilitate good governance and accountability, and that the Christmas season should provide the needed rejuvenation, stir the conscience of citizens to do the right thing in every aspect of national life as one people with a common destiny.
The Anglican Bishop of Ho, Rt Rev. Matthias Medadues-Badohu, said Christmas was for all, irrespective of religious affiliation because of the holiday component associated with it.
He, however, said the coming of the Messiah did not guarantee a trouble-free world but provided the strength to cope with every situation in life because Christ himself endured several adversities during his life to serve as an example to mankind.
“If you are sick, he will give you the strength to cope with sickness, whichever situation we found ourselves and it could be all kinds of adversity”, Bishop Medadeus-Badohu stated.