Politicians visit scene of disaster

September 24, 2008 pg 17

Story: Naa Lamiley Bentil & Musah Yahaya Jafaru

A NUMBER of politicians yesterday visited the Kantamanto Traders Market in Accra to express sympathy to the victims of the fire that razed about 600 stores.
They are the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. John Evans Atta Mills; the flag bearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom; Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the wife of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer; Mrs Samira Bawumia, the wife of the NPP running mate; and Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey. Earlier, Mr John Mahama, the NDC running mate, had been there as soon as news of the fire broke.
Prof. Atta Mills accompanied by some party officials, sympathised with the traders for the loss of their property.
Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom also visited the fire scene and sympathised with the victims. Dr Nduom who was on his way to the Central Region, promised to donate to the victims upon his return to Accra and urged the leadership of the people in the market to contact his office for the donation.
He also appealed to the government to restructure all the markets in the country to prevent such incidence and ensure that fire engines had easy access to markets in the event of a fire outbreak.
Mrs Akufo-Addo said she was saddened by the news of the fire outbreak, since it had destroyed the source of livelihood for many people.
She assured the traders that she would consult with Nana Akufo-Addo for possible assistance to be extended to them.
Mrs Akufo-Addo said it was the dream of her husband to improve the state of markets in the country when given the mandate to be next President of Ghana.
Mrs Bawumia expressed sympathy to the victims of the fire and asked for vote for the NPP to come to power to enable it to modernise the markets.
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the fire outbreak should be happening years ago but not now.
He said an Akufo-Addo government would move the country from the third world status to first world status.


Katamanto fire (gen.)
The government has promised to financially assist traders whose shops were razed by fire at the Kantamanto market in Accra on Monday evening.
The traders mostly cassette, leather sellers as well as seamstresses, hairdressers and barbers lost their equipment and money in the inferno which swept through the market.
The Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Kwadwo Adjei Darko, announced the support when he interacted with the affected traders at the market yesterday.
The government, he said, would not be able to give to each trader the exact amount of money that was lost as a result of the fire outbreak but would do its best to ensure that the traders got the needed support to enable them to bounce back to business.
He said it was unfortunate that the traders had not insured their goods, adding that if they had done so, it would have been much easier for them to restart their businesses.
Consequently, Mr Adjei Darko advised them to insure their goods in the future so that in situations such as this one, they would have something to rely on.
The Minister who was accompanied by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive, Mr Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blankson, to sympathise with the traders also cautioned them against illegal electricity connection which, according to him, also contributed to the perennial fire outbreaks.
Mr Adjiri-Blankson directed the affected traders to come to the office of the AMA on Wednesday with the list of items that they lost in the fire to enable the government to plan the support.