President Mahama sympathises with traders; pledges immediate measures to curb market fires

President John Dramani Mahama has assured traders and stakeholders of swift actions to prevent future fires and ease their sufferings.

He also expressed deep concern over the heavy losses incurred by traders.

“The loss of goods has been very heavy. We asked Naana Jane to visit you to express our concerns about what happened. Today, I got the opportunity to speak with you, listen to you, and see how the government can assist you,” he stated.

The president made this statement during a meeting with market leaders, representatives and other stakeholders to discuss relief measures and outline strategies to prevent similar incidents in the future, on January 13, 2024.

He emphasised the need to address the root causes of these fires.

While acknowledging that some incidents may stem from faulty wiring or the use of substandard materials, he raised the possibility of deliberate acts of arson.

“One of the first things we need to do is prevent these fire outbreaks. In some cases, it might be due to faulty wiring or the use of inferior materials. However, we cannot rule out arson — people deliberately setting fires to cause destruction. I remember in 2013, when I was newly sworn in as president, there were market fires in almost every market, which was quite unusual. Investigations showed that people deliberately set fires to cause chaos and confusion,” he noted.

President Mahama also pointed out some strategies to tackle the issue: preventing future fires, alleviating the plight of affected traders, and rebuilding the markets.

President Mahama added that he had convened a meeting with security heads to discuss strengthening security around major markets.

He noted that recent fires at the Techiman Market underlines the urgency of the situation.

“We need to focus on three main areas: preventing future fires, alleviating your plight, and rebuilding the market. First, we held a meeting with security heads today to discuss tightening security around all major markets to prevent any such occurrences. Just this morning, we heard about fires at Techiman Market. It seems this issue may continue, so we need to act quickly. I've asked the security services to tighten security around major markets,” he said.

He also proposed the deployment of fire tenders near major markets during night to ensure rapid response to any outbreaks.

“Additionally, we are asking the National Fire Service to be more vigilant at night, as these fires typically occur then. This raises suspicion that they are deliberately set. Fires rarely occur during the day, which makes nighttime fires particularly suspicious. We are asking the fire service to deploy their fire tenders close to major markets at night so they can quickly respond to any outbreaks,” he added.

To enhance surveillance and deterrence, President Mahama announced plans to install CCTV cameras at strategic points in markets to help capture culprits.

“We are also exploring the installation of CCTV cameras at strategic points in every market. This will help us monitor and identify anyone involved in setting fires,” he said.

He also pledged to engage leaders of various market associations to discuss the proposed measures and ensure effective implementation.

“These are some of the immediate steps we plan to take to prevent future incidents. Soon, the leaders of various market associations will be contacted by security to discuss these arrangements," he said.

Acknowledging the plight of the traders as a result of the fire, the president gave an assurance that all affected traders will get back their spaces when the market is rebuilt.

President John Dramani Mahama assured traders of his commitment to ease their immediate suffering and rebuilding the markets.

“Government is determined that nobody should be displaced because of this fire. Everybody should be able to get back their place in the market,” he added.

He further said, “In adversity, there is opportunity. Now that the market has burned down, this is a chance to reconstruct it better than it was before."

RAD/AE

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