The Deputy Interior Minister, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi has announced that the Mahama-led administration will soon undertake a significant restructuring of markets across the country.
According to Mr. Okletey Terlabi, the aim is to ensure adequate access to all markets. He made this statement during the JoyNews National Dialogue on recurring fire disasters, titled “From Ashes to Action: Breaking the Fire Cycle in Ghana.”
The live event, broadcast across all JoyNews channels, brought together traders, insurance experts, fire officers, health and safety professionals, and Deputy Interior Minister Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi.
The dialogue highlighted the alarming number of fire disasters that continue to ravage the country, despite the challenges faced by firefighters.
Key causes identified included improper market construction, traders’ disregard for safety standards, inadequate equipment for the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), and rural-urban migration. Proposed solutions to address these issues included market restructuring, retooling firefighters, and promoting a change in attitudes.
UK-based Health and Safety Professional Edward Debrah pointed to inadequate emergency systems as the root cause of the fire crisis, questioning the qualifications of some firefighters. “The problem is the lack of adherence to emergency systems and their inadequacy. Also, some fire service personnel are not fully aware of what they are fighting,” he said.
However, Greater Accra Fire Commander ACFO II Rashid Kwame Nisawu disagreed, asserting that the real issue lies in improper market construction and limited access during emergencies. “It is not true that the GNFS lacks the requisite knowledge to fight fires. The real problem is improper construction and market segmentation, where emergency access should be prioritised.”
A fire victim from Kantamanto, Susana Asabea, explained that traders quickly rebuilt the market due to fears that the area might be sold to other developers. “We quickly rebuilt because we heard that Kantamanto market was going to be sold.”
Meanwhile, trader Nana Yaw Osei Doudo attributed market congestion to rural-to-urban migration, driven by high unemployment, insisting that no trader is willing to relinquish space for reconstruction.
“Creating space in Kantamanto will be problematic because we followed the due process to acquire the land, and no trader is willing to cede any space. The congestion in the market, leading to the fires, is due to rural-urban migration driven by unemployment.”
The Managing Director of Bedrock Insurance stressed that the rebuilding of Kantamanto should have been better coordinated and more structured.
However, Edward Debrah believes that lasting solutions require a shift in attitude. “We need to return to the basics, focusing on attitudinal change. We need to find ways to hold leaders accountable, and investigations from previous fires must be made public.”
Having identified the main causes of market fires, Deputy Interior Minister Emanuel Okletey Terlabi proposed that future market rebuilds would include emergency access, among other improvements. “We have plans to rebuild several markets in Ghana to ensure fire officers are present. We will also introduce mechanised boreholes in markets to serve as an additional water source for firefighters.”
The minister also revealed plans for government collaboration with the Youth Ministry to train fire marshals who will be stationed in markets to ensure adherence to fire safety standards.
Host of the dialogue, Samuel Kojo Brace, also shared plans for JoyNews to spearhead a national fundraising initiative to purchase fire tenders for the Ghana National Fire Service.
Ghanaians hope that the proposed solutions, which include market rebuilding, retooling the GNFS, and training personnel for market safety, will help reduce the high incidence of market fires in the country.
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