Committee presents report on Kejetia market fire to Minister for Local Government

A five-member committee established by the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), Mr Daniel Botwe, to investigate the cause of the fire that gutted parts of the newly constructed Kejetia market in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, has submitted its report. The committee, chaired by Professor Theophilus Adjei-Kumi, a lecturer at the Department of Construction Technology and Management at KNUST, presented the report to the Sector Minister on Friday.

The report follows several engagements with stakeholders and users of the market to arrive at its findings and recommendations. The committee members included Mr Francis Koffie, a private legal practitioner and managing director of M/S Koffie and Partners, Mr Kofi Ampong, a valuer, property manager, and real estate consultant, Mr Daniel Kwaku Denteh, the deputy director-general of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and Mrs Emelia Ayebeng Botchway, the regional coordinating director at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council.

In receiving the report, Mr Daniel Botwe commended the committee members for their dedication and the quality of the report. He also assured the committee of his commitment to taking serious actions, in consultation with relevant government agencies and stakeholders, to follow through with the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report.

The Minister emphasized that the government takes fire disasters in major markets across the country seriously, given the huge investments made by the government into these markets. He urged the board and management of various markets to be proactive and innovative in their work to prevent future disasters and safeguard national assets.

For the most part, the report is expected to provide valuable insights into the cause of the fire and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future. It is hoped that the recommendations would be implemented to forestall future disasters in markets across the country.