Government must explain Kantamanto fire

President of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI) Dr. Seth Adjei Baah has charged government to set up a committee to investigate the Kantamanto fire outbreak, to ascertain the root cause.

According to him, finding out the cause of the fire would help ensure that right measures were put in place to prevent future occurrences, stating that, “Government must explain to us why the entire Kantamanto market got burnt”.

The President of GCCI made this known during his visit to the market to sympathize with the displaced traders and interact with them to find lasting solutions to their problem.

Dr. Adjei Baah said, “Fire outbreaks in the country are becoming too much and government must act quickly to minimize its occurrences ”.

He urged government to partner the traders in the reconstruction of the market, stating that the leaders of the Kantamanto Traders Association and other unions must be included in the decision- making to ensure fairness and transparency.

Dr. Adjei Baah pleaded with the traders to exercise patience, while efforts were being made to resolve the problem at hand.

Some traders, who spoke to DAILY GUIDE, reiterated that they would not allow government to rebuild the market for them, stating that, “Government should only direct us how it wants the market to be built and we will build it ourselves.

The traders said they have money to build the market in whatever form the government wanted, stating that there would never be peace until the land was returned to them.

According to them, the land was theirs because it was leased to them by Ghana Railways Authority for 50 years and they have only spent five years out of that.

When DAILY GUIDE visited the demolished market, bulldozers, caterpillars and tractors were being used to clear the land.

Fully armed security personnel were also seen guarding the place to prevent the traders from interrupting with the work going on there.

The displaced traders, who were clad in red apparel, were seen marching to the market place wailing and raining insults on government, as a way of registering their displeasure about the treatment being meted out to them by government.

Kantamanto market in the Accra Central Business District, was gutted by fire on Sunday morning, destroying property worth several thousands of Ghana cedis, displacing many traders.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The market is the base for second-hand clothes, popularly known as “Broni waawu”.