One year after a devastating fire gutted sections of the Kantamanto Market in Accra, traders say business activities are yet to regain vibrancy, despite efforts to rebuild the market and strengthen safety and security measures.
The Kantamanto Market, West Africa’s largest hub for second-hand clothing and household items, was razed by fire a year ago, destroying hundreds of stalls and goods worth millions of Ghana cedis.
The incident displaced many traders, most of them women, and disrupted the supply chain of used clothing and household items nationwide.
The Chairman of the Kantamanto Used Clothes Association, Michael Oppong, said that although trading activities had resumed, the market was still struggling to regain its former momentum.
“Exactly a year ago, when the fire outbreak occurred, we were able to rebuild with support from benevolent individuals, banks and NGOs, and we have returned to work,” he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Monday.
Mr Oppong said the market leadership, in collaboration with state security agencies, had implemented strict safety and security measures to prevent a recurrence.
“We now have Fire Service personnel operating three shifts here, supported by the Police, National Security and internal security. At exactly 1800 hours, everyone is asked to leave for cleaners to tidy the place, after which security personnel take over for the night,” he explained.
He disclosed that the internal security personnel were being paid from funds mobilised by the market committee, describing the arrangement as temporary.
The Association, Mr Oppong said, was clamping down on illegal electrical connections, often blamed for market fires, warning that offenders would be sanctioned.
While many traders had returned, he noted that others remained at home due toa lack of capital to restart their businesses.
“Except for those supported by family or friends, some traders have not been able to get back on their feet. We are still appealing for assistance, especially for the women,” he said.
The Chairman also hinted at plans to construct an ultramodern market, saying architectural drawings submitted to the President last year were awaiting feedback.
“No trader will lose his or her stall,” he assured.
On fire prevention, Mr Oppong said the Ghana National Fire Service had trained traders on fire safety and the use of extinguishers.
“They have provided about 1,000 fire extinguishers, with 170 fixed at vantage points within my jurisdiction for easy access,” he said.
However, insuring goods remained a challenge, as insurance companies considered the market high-risk due to its wooden structures, he added.
The chairman appealed to President John Mahama and former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to fulfil their pledge to provide CCTV cameras to enhance market security.
He wished traders a Happy New Year and urged them to remain hopeful, united and supportive of one another to restore the market’s vibrancy.
Chairman of the Bright Morning Star (BMS) Association, a traders group within the Kantamanto market, Godfred Afotey, attributed the decline in business partly to the high cost of second-hand clothing bales.
“Although import duties have reduced, the bales still pass through middlemen, making them expensive and forcing retailers to sell at higher prices,” he said.
He suggested supporting traders to import directly from suppliers to promote competition and reduce the influence of middlemen.
Mr Afotey also blamed the reduced vibrancy on traders encroaching on the streets and railway lines, causing congestion and diverting customers from the main market.
“This has affected the once buoyant nature of trade here,” he said, adding that the Association had engaged the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and would follow up to relocate roadside traders back into the market.
“We cannot allow them to take over our business,” he stressed.
Mr Afotey, also the Director of Operations in charge of security at Kantamanto, said the leadership had engaged and trained a private security team with support from the Fire Service and the Police.
He said National Security personnel had been deployed with support from the Greater Accra Regional Minister, adding that the measures were yielding results despite logistical challenges.
“We still need equipment such as Motorola communication devices and other accoutrements. We are appealing to philanthropists and benevolent individuals for support,” he said.
Mrs Philippa Adusei, a market queen and household items trader of 22 years, said she lost all her goods to the fire.
“I received a call around 1145 hours informing me of the incident. Three days earlier, I had bought 10 bales in addition to my existing stock, and everything was burnt,” she recounted.
“My legs started shaking when I heard the news, and it took me three days to gather the courage to visit the market. The incident really affected me.”
Mrs Adusei, a former teacher, said she lost close to GH₵100,000 and had only been able to restart her business with support from loved ones.
Madam Sophia Akua Pokua Amoah, a trader in second-hand household items, said business remained slow because many customers believed traders had not fully returned to the market.
She said she lost goods worth about GH₵50,000 and was yet to recover, surviving on items received on credit.
Madam Amoah complained about the lack of power supply, which she said made working conditions difficult, especially during periods of intense heat, and appealed for its restoration.
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