By Elizabeth PUNSU, Kumasi
President John Dramani Mahama has given a strong warning to traders not to take gas cylinders to the markets or cook food at the various markets in the country.
This would be a step to curb the rampant fire outbreaks and its devastating effects in some markets across the country.
Over 2,000 shops were destroyed in a fire outbreak at Adum Railways on Friday ravaging millions of properties and wares at the Central Business District of the Ashanti Region.
During the fire outbreak, there were several loud bangs suggesting explosion of gas cylinders in most of the affected shops.
This situation caught the attention of the President when he was accompanied by the Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene and some NADMO officials and members of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to get first hand information and also assess the extent of damage caused by the fire outbreak.
The president who was in the region for another reason, took the opportunity to visit the fire outbreak scene after he was briefed by the Regional Minister on the unfortunate incident.
“I came to Kumasi to inaugurate a project at Nkawie, Tree for life initiative, immediately I touched ground here in Kumasi, the Regional Minister briefed me on the damage caused here at Adum. I decided to come and see things for myself. The situation is sad and terrible looking at the extent of damage caused here. Properties and stores burnt down,” President Mahama told journalists.
He then cautioned against the use of gas cylinders in the country’s markets whether well-structured or not.
The President was of the view that the extent of damage would not have been this terrible if there were no gas explosions. It is about time, markets in the country get properly structured.
“We must see how best to put our markets in proper shape to prevent this. There are several explosions going on at the affected areas. These are gas cylinders. We shouldn’t use gas cylinders in the markets, nor cook in the markets, if you want to cook, you must buy food from the streets This should be a lesson for us, to plan our market’s structure well to prevent such occurrences in the future,” he added.
The President assured the traders of his support and tasked authorities from National Disaster management Organisation (NADMO) to as a matter of urgency, find some form of assistance for affected traders.
