Accra, Ghana – The President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, has expressed deep concern over the increasing frequency of fire outbreaks in markets across the country.
Highlighting the urgency of the matter, he emphasized the need for immediate and effective solutions to prevent further disasters.
Speaking during a meeting with traders affected by the recent fire incident at the Kantamanto Market, the President outlined several measures aimed at addressing the recurring issue.
Among these is the directive for the Ghana National Fire Service to consider the installation of CCTV cameras at strategic locations in all major markets.
“We’ve asked the Fire Service to explore installing CCTV cameras at all vantage points at every major market,” he stated, underscoring the importance of surveillance in detecting and responding to potential fire hazards.
President Mahama also revealed that he had convened a meeting with security chiefs to discuss ways to enhance security measures in and around major markets to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“We held a meeting with the security heads today to see how we can tighten security around all the major markets in order to prevent such occurrence,” he added.
In addition, the President announced that fire tenders would be strategically stationed near major markets during nighttime hours.
This proactive step, he explained, would enable fire service personnel to respond swiftly in the event of an outbreak, thereby minimizing damage.
“We are asking the fire service to deploy their fire tenders where there are major markets at nights so that in the event of a fire outbreak, they are right there on the scene to be able to quench it before it causes any damage,” he explained.
President Mahama stressed that these immediate interventions are crucial for safeguarding lives and property.
However, he also viewed the tragedy as an opportunity to rebuild the affected markets in a way that would make them more modern and resilient.
“So now that the market is burned down, I know you might be thinking of reconstructing it, how would you reconstruct it so that it is a better market than what it was before?” he asked, encouraging the traders to approach the rebuilding process with a forward-thinking mindset.
Reassuring the affected traders, the President pledged that no one would be displaced as a result of the fire.
“Government is determined that nobody should be displaced because of this fire, and so everybody should be able to get back what place he or she had in the market,” he promised.
During the meeting, the traders appealed to the government for assistance, citing significant financial losses caused by the fire.
In response, President Mahama assured them that their plight would not be ignored. He committed to working closely with their leadership to develop a sustainable and lasting solution to the recurring problem.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh (#RomeoWrites
) / Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 
