Market Fires: Tighten security at markets …Pres directs security agencies

President John Dramani Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has directed the security agencies to tighten security around major markets nationwide in the face of recent market fires.

Revealing that he had asked his security heads to draw a plan to enhance security in the markets, President Mahama underscored the urgency of the situation and tasked his security chiefs to act fast.

“We held a meeting with the security heads [on Monday] to discuss how we can tighten security around all major markets to prevent such occurrences,” he stated.

“Just this morning, we heard about a fire at the Techiman Market, which indicates that this trend may continue unless we take immediate steps.”

“I’ve asked the security to arrange with the various security services to tighten security around major markets. We are also asking them to explore installing CCTV cameras at all vantage points of every market,” he added.

President Mahama made the disclosure in Accra on Monday when a delegation from the Katamanto market called on him.

The market in days past was razed to the ground by an inferno, rendering thousands who trade in the market face a life without a source of livelihood. As part of the security measures, the President noted that the Fire Service had been directed to deploy fire tenders to major markets across the country, especially in the night.

Market fires, the President emphasised, might not be only as a result of faulty electrical installations, but also suspected acts of arson.

“These fires take place in the night and that is what gives us room for suspicion that there are people who are deliberately doing this. In the daytime, you don’t hear that there is a fire [outbreak] anywhere. How the fire can decide that it is only in the night that it ignites and burns is beyond anybody’s imagination,” he stated.

This suspicion, the President said, was found in a 2013 investigation, his then government commissioned into markets fires which established arson.

“I remember it has happened before, in 2013 when I was newly sworn in as president. There were fires in almost every market, which was quite unusual and in many cases, the investigations showed that people deliberately set the markets on fire in order to cause chaos and confusion,” he said.

He gave assurance of his government’s resolve to assist the affected traders back into business but said the market should be built into a strong facility.

“[The] Government is determined that nobody should be displaced because of this fire…but we must design it better and make sure that we build it in a better way,” the President indicated.

BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI