The Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) is demanding the release of all investigative reports on previous fire incidents, particularly in the country’s commercial centres to enable authorities to guard against future occurrences.
This call comes on the heels of a fire outbreak at the Makola market in the central business district of Accra, on Monday, July 5, 2021.
The three-story building that was damaged by the fire contained several shops, which were occupied by traders who deal in hair and cosmetic products.
The fire, according to eyewitnesses, began around 9.00 am on Monday, July 5, 2021, in one of the shops, and started spreading to others.
The President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng, in an interview said, “we want the government to submit the reports of forensic audits from previous fire outbreaks. That way, a committee can be set up to find a lasting solution to the issue.”
He also called on the government to create a “friendlier environment for traders in the central business district of Accra.”
“Much as we sensitise our members on safety measures to prevent such incidents from reoccurring, we also need a more friendly environment to operate in. The market is too congested.”
Monday morning’s fire incident comes a few days after a fire gutted parts of the CMB police station in Accra.
That fire, which started at about 12:00 pm on Friday, July 2, 2021, destroyed office spaces, washrooms, and other parts of the facility.
Cell inmates at the police station were subsequently transported to other police stations.
