TNR Files
Dominic Nitiwul, the immediate past Minister of Defence and MP for Bimbilla, has done what many feared he would: he has turned a routine urban redevelopment dispute into an ethnic confrontation, leading the Minority caucus to the Konkomba Yam Market in Accra to accuse the government of deliberately targeting the Konkomba people for demolition.
The move, laden with ethnic overtones and political calculation, has raised eyebrows across the political spectrum. Nitiwul, who until recently sat at the apex of Ghana’s security architecture, knows better than most the volatility of ethnic rhetoric.
As Defence Minister, he was briefed on the fault lines of northern Ghana, the fragility of Konkomba-Nanumba relations, and the ease with which a market dispute can metastasise into something far more dangerous. Yet on this day, he chose to brandish his ethnic identity as a political weapon, pitching his Konkomba kinsmen against the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Nitiwul led the Minority caucus to the Konkomba Yam Market following reports that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) had demarcated the area for demolition to make way for a 24-hour market. The caucus, he said, decided to verify the reports before commenting. “We have come here today, we listened to the elders of the market, and we took a tour of the entire market zone,” he said.
What they saw, according to the Minority, was “shocking,” “worrying,” and “depressing.” Nitiwul claimed that only structures in areas occupied by Konkombas had been marked for demolition. “It was unfortunate that all the buildings that were marked are the areas where the Konkomba people reside. When they go to places where the Konkomba people don’t reside, they do not mark there,” he alleged.
The lawmaker claimed every stall in the market, as well as residential areas, had been marked. He questioned why the project was sited at the centre of the Konkomba community while other available locations were left untouched. “We want to say that we don’t agree. We are asking the President to stop the AMA Chief Executive, because it is discrimination against the Konkombas,” he stated.
THE ETHNIC CARD: A DANGEROUS GAME
Nitiwul’s remarks are not just political they are ethnically charged in a way that a former Defence Minister should know is reckless. By framing the demolition as an attack on “Konkombas” and calling on President John Dramani Mahama to intervene, Nitiwul is not simply opposing a policy. He is mobilising an ethnic constituency against a sitting government, using the language of marginalisation and targeting that has, in Ghana’s recent history, been a prelude to conflict.
The former Defence Minister knows the Konkomba Yam Market is not just an economic hub. It is a symbol of Konkomba identity in Accra, a community space that has, over decades, become a flashpoint for ethnic tensions.
His decision to lead the Minority there, to stand before the elders and declare that the government is “removing Konkombas from Accra,” is a deliberate act of political agitation. It is also, many will argue, an embarrassment for a man who once held the defence portfolio and swore to protect the unity of the Ghanaian state.
Nitiwul expressed skepticism about the stated purpose of the project, arguing that the size of land demarcated far exceeds what a 24-hour market requires. “I have one in my constituency, he has one in his constituency, we know the size of land they need,” he said. But the technical merits of the project are beside the point. The political message was clear: the NDC is coming for the Konkombas, and Nitiwul is their defender.
THE WARNING: “POLITICALLY SUICIDAL”
The Bimbilla MP directly appealed to President Mahama to halt the AMA Chief Executive’s actions, warning of political consequences if the demolition proceeds. “If you cannot help develop the market for the Konkombas to sell their yams, stop — another President will come and do it. It will be politically suicidal for the president to allow the mayor to touch and to do what he is thinking of doing. I will not enunciate on that, but we are saying that what we saw is not a good thing,” he cautioned.
The phrase “politically suicidal” is telling. Nitiwul is not speaking as a legislator concerned about urban planning. He is speaking as a political operator who sees an opportunity to inflict damage on the NDC by mobilising an ethnic bloc. The threat is not just about votes it is about the potential for unrest, for confrontation, for the kind of ethnic polarisation that Ghana has largely managed to avoid.
He further reassured Konkomba traders across the country that the market remains open, urging yam suppliers not to be deterred by the demolition threats. “Where do you expect the millions of young Konkombas and their business partners across Ghana who do business with the Konkomba Yam Market to go? There is no plan to build the 24-hour market there. Why is the chief executive so interested in removing the Konkombas?” he asked.
THE POLITICAL CALCULATION
Nitiwul’s decision to lead the Minority to the market, rather than simply issue a press statement, was a calculated escalation. It put him at the centre of the controversy, positioned him as the champion of the Konkomba people, and forced the government into a defensive crouch. It also, conveniently, shifted attention away from the Minority’s own internal challenges and onto an issue that resonates deeply with a key northern constituency.
The Minority has insisted that its position is not against development, but against what it describes as the selective targeting of the Konkomba community. That may be true. But the manner of the protest the ethnic framing, the emotional appeals, the warning of political consequences suggests a broader strategy. Nitiwul is not just fighting a demolition. He is building a political narrative that casts the NDC as anti-Konkomba, a narrative that could pay dividends in future elections.
THE AMA AND THE GOVERNMENT: SILENT FOR NOW
The AMA is yet to respond to the allegations. The government has also not issued a statement. That silence may be strategic refusing to dignify what it may see as political theatre or it may be a sign of indecision. Either way, the pressure is mounting on President Mahama to intervene, and the longer the silence lasts, the more space Nitiwul has to shape the narrative.
THE STAKES
The Konkomba Yam Market dispute is, on its face, a local issue about urban redevelopment. But Nitiwul has elevated it to a national test of ethnic equity and political leadership.
The former Defence Minister, who once warned against the dangers of ethnic politics, now stands accused of practising it. Whether his gamble pays off or backfires will depend on how the government responds, and whether Ghanaians see his intervention as principled advocacy or cynical manipulation.
For now, the market remains open. The traders remain uncertain. And the political temperature continues to rise.
The New Republic will continue to follow this story. The AMA and the Office of the President have not responded to requests for comment.