June 18, 2013

Government has reiterated its unremitting support for traders who have been affected by various market fire outbreaks including victims of the recent Kumasi Central market fire which destroyed several properties and merchandise worth millions of Ghana Cedis.

A deputy Minister of Information and Media Relations and Member of Parliament for Nanton Constituency, Hon Murtala Mohammed stated emphatically at a Press briefing that victims of the Kumasi Central market fire will also have a fair share of the fund which was established by government to support recent fire victims.

President John Dramani Mahama last week directed an amount of about GHs 2 million to be established for victims of the recent market fire outbreaks in Accra to assist affected traders bounce back to life again.

Hon. Murtala however stressed that the various fire outbreaks including that of the recent Kumasi central market fire was something government could not consider as mere coincidence and thus those who previously sparked verbal attack on the President for suspecting arson in these outbreaks will now reconsider their utterances.

“I believe those who verbally lynched his Excellency, the President for suggesting arson in the recent fire outbreaks will by now be changing their position” and those who also suspected rats will also be changing theirs too” he said.

The deputy Minister further noted that the various security agencies have also submitted reports on their preliminary investigation on the causes of the various fire outbreaks.

Meanwhile, Ghana has so far recorded about six market fire outbreaks in less than four months including Kantamanto, Makola No 2, Dome main market, Agbogloshie Market and recent Kumasi Central market.

Emmanuel Frimpong Mensah/GhanaMPs.gov.gh