Portions of market space at the Kasoa Old Market have been demolished by a joint team of Police and a task force from the Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly.
This is to make way for accessibility in the event of a fire outbreak in the market.
According to Isaac Ofori, Municipal Engineer for the assembly, although they had difficulties demolishing portions of the market, the exercise will not be in futility since it is aimed at safeguarding lives and property.
Speaking to Isaac Ofori noted that some portions of the Kasoa New Market have also been identified for demolition.
“We have made a series of announcements to create the awareness of the demolition exercise, but they [market women] have decided not to move. So we decided to apply force to make sure they move for us to create an access road in the unlikely event of a fire outbreak.”
“We will move to the Kasoa New Market after this exercise because a similar thing is happening there, and if care is not taken, it can bring calamity in the event of a fire,” Isaac Ofori said.
He noted that they have learned lessons from other market fires across the country, and have decided to take a cue from such incidents.
“Two years ago there was a fire outbreak in this market and fire officers had difficulties going to douse the fire. There have been similar incidents across the country where property running into millions of cedis have been lost as a result of the lack of access route, and we won’t wait until it happens to us,” Isaac Ofori said.
He also urged persons in the market, including shop owners, to refrain from extending the frontage of their shops.
“If you rent a shop, and it’s blocking access, you should know,” Isaac Ofori said.
Patrick Bawa, the Assistant Divisional Officer Grade 2 of the Ghana National Fire Service in Kasoa, believes establishing spaces in the market is one of the safest ways of fighting a fire.
He urged the assembly task force to continue with its routine checks to ensure the traders comply with the directive.
“They should sustain the exercise so that the traders will not come back again, and I’m praying that the operational men from the assembly will be up to the task.”
The officer also complained about the lack of fire hydrants in Kasoa urging the assembly to do well to provide some.
“There is no fire hydrant in Kasoa, and it is not good, although we have some within the vicinity. We are still collaborating with the assembly so that in the near future we will have one” ADO Grade 2 Patrick Bawa.
