The Ashanti Regional chapter of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is asking government to with immediate effect open the Kejetia Market for traders.
The party also called on government to compensate traders whose properties were razed by fire at Kumasi Central and Asafo markets in the past few days.
The NDC made the call in a statement to commiserate with those who lost their properties through the fire incident.
The NDC argued that the fire could have been averted if government had opened the newly built Kejetia Market completed by the Mahama administration for business and had also undertaken phase two of the Central Market.
“On behalf of the tax payer, the suffering masses and all victims of these market fires, we demand an immediate opening of the Kejetia Market for use to pave way for a speedy construction of the Central Market as planned and started by the John Mahama administration to prevent further pain and agony to the ordinary Ghanaian.”
“However, It is regrettable to note that, while our mothers and other market operators continue to suffer from perennial market fires, the Akufo Addo led Administration has borrowed over 70billion Ghana Cedis with no market initiated and constructed over the past two years in power in the Ashanti Region,” portions of the statement added.
The party is demanding compensation for the affected persons to enable them to start their business activities again.
“We also request that government provides with alacrity some compensation packages to all victims of the twin fires of Central and Asafo Markets to serve as a seed capital in their bid to bounce back on their feet.”
Ghanaians in the past three days have witnessed various fire incidents within the Kumasi metropolis.
The Kumasi Central market was up in flames on Friday night, while some parts of the Asafo Market caught fire the next day leading to the destruction of several properties.
There was yet another fire outbreak on Sunday night at another part of the Asafo market that was not affected by the previous day’s fire.
The latest incident occurred on Monday morning when fire destroyed portions of the Grace Chapel of the Calvary Charismatic Center also in Kumasi.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly has said that it will not allow victims of Friday night’s fire outbreak at the Kumasi Central Market to rebuild their structures yet.
According to the Assembly, government will soon break ground for the commencement of the second phase of the Central Market Redevelopment project.
“Currently, no, we will not allow them rebuild shelters because very soon all this place will be under construction but we will wait for assessment from NADMO,” the Assembly’s Chief Executive said in a Citi News interview.
Source: Ghanawish.com |citinewsroom.com
