[Pantyholic]

Trade In Second-Hand Underwears Increases
Papa Owusu-Ankomah


The trade in second-hand clothing (Oburoni waawu), including underwear, has recorded a massive boost, one month after the Ministry of Trade had warned against it and threatened stiffer restrictions.

Outraged by its growth and the risk in especially wearing someone else’s underwear, the Ministry of Trade, Industry, President’s Special Initiative (PSI) and Private Sector Development (PSD) last month warned Ghanaians to desist from trading in such items because of the health implications.

The warning was issued by the sector minister, Papa Owusu-Ansah, when he met with importers in Accra.

He noted that the importation of such items, particularly used underwear, was likely to carry diseases to the user.

At the first Importers Forum organised by the ministry in Accra, he said the government would take the option of banning such products if importers did not refrain from their importation.

But one month on, the Daily Graphic witnessed a flourishing trade in the second-hand clothing in Accra, with prospective buyers from all walks of life travelling to Kantamanto Market, an area around the Railway Station, to patronise the latest fashion in mostly imported second-hand clothes and to bargain for the best of prices.

On a visit to that part of Accra alone, Daily Graphic found hundreds of sellers and buyers in all categories of clothes that include used bed sheets, T-shirts, trousers, shirts, dresses, towels, and gents and ladies panties, as well as brassieres.

Before daybreak, especially on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Kantamanto Market looks like a carnival bursting with buyers and sellers of used clothes setting their market up for the day.

Some haul their goods in wheelbarrows and on home-made carts, but a lot do so on their backs, dumping them on the hard-packed soil and into their shops in the market that stretch from behind the COCOBOD (still referred to as CMB) building to the Ghana Commercial Bank within the Liberty House, from dawn till late in the evening.

At Kantamanto, used clothes particularly ladies panties and brassieres are patronised by people of all classes; bankers, traders, students, porters and others who get there as early as 4:00 a.m. to get the best of items.

Interviews granted to the Daily Graphic indicated that many people patronised the second-hand items because of their low price and the quality of some of the item as compared to locally made items.

That trade in hand-me-downs, also offers millions of Ghanaians a means to earn a living.

The Daily Graphic team found out that one could purchase an underwear for as low as 20p for underpants and 50p for T-shirts, denim blue jeans and panties that had been discarded by Westerners.

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[Denise]

Well it seems to me,...someone must explain to the man what happens to panties when you place them in a washer with soap and water, but then again maybe they have a shortage of soap....So I suggest that along with the panties that seem to be getting danated one should think of including some laundry detergent you know little boxes you find in the laundry mats....then problem would be solved


Love
Denise

[Pantyholic]

Perhaps there is method in his apparent madness. Dirty panties = $$$s
I can visualize hundreds of panty sniffers emailing him now.

Isn't Ghana one of those bank scamming places? even so play safe boys and girls and don't use your credit cards

[KnickerBocker]

Personally, I don't trust anyone whose title starts with Papa, so if I ever make it to Ghana I'll buy all the used panties I can.