Veep's directive into fire outbreak is rhetoric - Safety Expert

The Executive Secretary of the Bureau of Public Safety, Nana Yaw Akwada has described as rhetoric, the directive by Vice-President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur to the Ministry of Interior to institute an investigation into the cause of recent fires in Accra and Kumasi, and advise government on steps to be taken to forestall future occurencies.
The fire has taken away the livelihood of about 800 traders
According to him, the Vice-President’s directive was oratory since the same directive had severally been given to find out the causes of fires at several markets such as the Mallam Market, Madina Market, Kumasi Central market and the recent fire at Sodom and Gomorrah.
He questioned what had been done with previous reports which had been submitted to government by committees of enquiries following the incidents of fire outbreaks in various markets.
He argued that none of the recommendations have been implemented as of now.
The Kantamanto market, in the early hours of Sunday was engulfed by a ferocious fire which took away the livelihoods of about 800 traders and their families.
Vice-President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, after visiting the scene directed the Ministry of Interior to institute an investigation into the cause of the recent fires in Accra and Kumasi and advise the government on steps to be taken to forestall future occurrences.
But speaking on Joy FM’, an Accra-based radio station, Mr Akwada said “… it is an indictment on us as a country. We sit and go round in circles every year and nothing is done about it.”
The Vice-President also directed the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to redesign the market in such a way as to secure the livelihood of the traders.
Vice-President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur
But Mr Akwada argues that the authorities were not doing much to help to prevent the re-occurrence of market fire outbreaks.
He recalled the latest report which was presented to the government following investigations into the cause of fire which destroyed properties at the Kumasi Central Market in December 2012 and the recommendations by the committee of enquiry for a nationwide plan for the construction and reconstruction of markets in the country.
He further questioned what had been done with those reports and how the recommendations have been implemented to avert future occurrences.
Mr Akwada called on government to to implement the recommendations made in various market fire invesitigative committee reports.
He further noted that it would have been a major disaster if the fire had occurred at the time when traders and shoppers were present.
Story: Jasmine Arku/Graphic.com.gh

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