Editorial by The Chronicle: Cooking inside our markets must be outlawed!

Starrfm.com.gh reported yesterday that the Ashanti Regional Police Command has confirmed the arrest of 60 years old Felicia Opoku, who is alleged to be the root cause of the Kumasi Kejetia Market fire incident that occurred on March 16, 2023.

The suspect, according to the report, was arrested on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, after the Command of the Ghana National Fire Service reported her to the police over the incident.

The report further stated that a preliminary investigation conducted by the Ghana National Fire Service has established that the fire was caused by a shop owner, who was cooking in her shop.

Since the suspect is yet to confirm that her negligence caused the fire outbreak, which has broken many hearts in Kumasi, The Chronicle is unable to take her on.

The truth must, however, be pointed out that most of the fires that occur in the market places are mainly the negligence of our mothers and sisters who trade in these markets.

It is an open secret that some of these market women light gas cylinders and cook in their stalls/shops. Some even go to the extent of burning charcoal, but at the end of the cooking they fail to properly put the fire out.

What surprises us most is the fact that the markets have management teams appointed by the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, yet they are unable to rein in those who have made it a habit of cooking inside the markets, instead of their homes.

As we earlier indicated, the lady, who has been arrested in connection with the Kejetia incident, is a mere suspect, however, if investigations prove that she negligently cooked in the market resulting in the fire outbreak, then it means that we are not learning from mistakes committed by others in the past, which is very unfortunate.

To nib this practice of cooking in the markets in the bud, The Chronicle suggests to the various assemblies to embark on a mass education exercise to sensitise our mothers and sisters about the dangers of cooking in the markets, which also serve as their places of work. The market queens should also be instructed to report to the police any man or woman seen cooking in their stalls/shops.

The construction of a modern market is not a small venture – it costs a lot of money, and that is why we must not allow the practice to continue.

Already, the Kejetia Market victims have started calling on the government to give them capital to re-establish themselves. Should the government accede to their request, it is the tax payer’s money that would be used to settle them.

What is going on in our various markets is simply very bad, and the earlier we wake up from our slumber and tackle the problem head on, the better it would be for us all.