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TRADERS AT the Ho central market have indicated that they are not moved by the launch of the Ghana Urban Management Pilot Project (GUMPP) or the promises given them by government officials and Vice President John Mahama during the launch. According to most of them who referred to the Akan adage �Yate Abre,� to wit �enough is enough�, this was not the first time they were being assured and promised of a better market. The market women, who showed no enthusiasm for the project which is supposed to transform the Ho central market into a modern one, noted that �until they have seen evidence of a completely modernized market, they will treat the launch and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government�s assurance as one of their many yet to be fulfilled promises.� This came to light when DAILY GUIDE visited the Ho central market yesterday to find out how the market women were taking the news of the refurbishment of the market, as well as their posture as far as the Vice President�s assurances are concerned. The visit was also to find out why they did not show up in their numbers like they did during other forum that was held in the market. Mr. Mahama and the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Samuel Ofosu Ampofu at the launch assured the market women to be calm. The Vice President noted that government understood their frustration and that was why it had instituted the GUMMP to refurbish the Ho central market and transform the central business district. He said although the GUMPP project was meant for metropolitan assemblies, the NDC government found it prudent to include Ho, a municipality. He however said the delay in the implementation of the programme was because the project was a participatory one. There was the need for the stakeholders, including the market men and women to be consulted to make it successful when implemented. Mr. Ofosu Ampofo also urged the market women to be patient, adding that their market would be transformed to a state-of-the-art market by the time the five-year GUMPP project is completed. Meanwhile, the market women have indicated that they are not moved by the GUMMP project and that they will only be convinced when they see the transformation. A pepper seller, Akua Bonsi, noted that �Until we see with our eyes �fiili fiili�, we will continue to keep the Assembly on its toes. For the past three years, they had been calling for simple street lights, a better toilet facility, warehouses and more security, yet to no avail. It took a threatened demonstration to make Mr. Ofosu Ampofu to leave Accra and come and donate some street lights to us,� she added. Mustapha, a clothes dealer, said �we pay levies to the Assembly and so we expect them to properly manage the market and not wait for a long term five-year project to do that. The Municipal Chief Executive, Kodobisah, and his people at the Assembly have to, in the mean time, solve the small small problems in the market and not hide behind GUMPP to transform the market,� he added. According to the market women, because the economy was affecting their living conditions, they could not afford to leave their wares for over two hours unattended to, especially when they had to sit idle and wait for the Vice President for over two hours. The launch, which was supposed to start at 10am, started around 12 noon. Apparently, some of them had come earlier and left due to the delay. Interestingly, the French Ambassador to Ghana, Fr�d�ric Clavier and other French officials, as well as the chairman of the occasion, Osie Adjatekpor of Avatime waited for about two hours before the programme started. The excuse was that the Vice President was yet to arrive. A leader of the market, who refused to mention her name, also bemoaned the late start of the programme. With regard to the attendance of the programme, she said the executives did all they could but most of them refused to attend. She added that although there were street lights in the market and they had been assured of more development, the morale in the market was low.