MP inspects Bantama burnt market

Kumasi, Jan. 14, GNA- Madam Cecilia Abenaa Dapaah, Minister of State in-charge of Works, Housing and Water Resources and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama on Monday inspected the Bantama market in Kumasi, which was gutted by fire at the weekend.

The fire, which occurred on Saturday's night, killed one person only identified as Cynthia, a pregnant woman, whilst her husband who sustained severe burns was admitted at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for treatment.

About 500 stalls and stores with goods worth millions of Ghana Cedis were destroyed by the fire, which took personnel of the Ghana national Fire Service (GNFS) about five hours to bring it under control. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Mr Henry Kokofu, Bantama Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in charge of the Suntreso District Police Command, Mr James Annor, accompanied Madam Dapaah.

The visit was to enable her to know at first hand, the extent of damage caused by the disaster. The Minister later in an interview with newsmen expressed her shock and dismay about the disaster and consoled the affected people. Madam Dapaah commended the Ashanti Regional Minister Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, for setting up a special committee to investigate the cause of the disaster. She assured the affected people that the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) would support in the reconstruction of the market, and called on the market women to cooperate with the authorities, whiles the market is being rebuilt.

The Minister appealed to the KMA to remove all the debris at the market.

Madam Yaa Tiwaa, Vice-Chairperson of the Bantama Market Women's Association thanked the Minister for her visit and urged the KMA to come to their aid and reconstruct the market as soon as possible.