Kejetia Market sets 7pm closing time to enhance fire safety
Traders at the Kejetia Market are on high alert following a series of devastating fire incidents that have destroyed at least three major markets across Ghana—Katamanto, Kwadaso Wood Market, and Tamale Timber Market—this year.
The recent spate of fires has left affected traders reeling and sparked anxiety among those at Kejetia about the safety of their goods and livelihoods.
“We had an emergency meeting with the divisional police commander ACP Aduonum and some stakeholders in the market. We tabled our grievances before them. One of the proposals that we proposed to them which we expect the management to enforce and the traders to comply is the closing time of the market, which is 7pm,” he stated.
Nana Prempeh emphasized that compliance with this policy would allow security personnel to monitor the market after closing hours effectively.
“The traders are to comply with the management to enforce it to the latter so that it will allow the security to take control of the market after 7 pm to curtail any unforeseen circumstances. And then also we appealed to the officials of Ghana National Fire Service, who have agreed that they’ll station a patrol team around the market in the evening times,” he added.
Despite these measures, Nana Prempeh expressed frustration over the lack of clarity regarding the causes of previous market fires, particularly the 2023 Kejetia Market fire. He criticized the Kejetia Fire Outbreak Committee for failing to release its findings, arguing that the withheld information could have helped prevent future incidents.
“Luckily enough, the committee submitted its report after a month. Till now, we don’t know the content of the report. We don’t know the reason why the previous administration could not make the findings public. The effects of the fire outbreak are still in the market. Affected traders are still in the house suffering, repair works have not been done, and even the most important thing—what was the cause of the fire to inform policymakers and alert traders and their leadership about the causes of the fire and recommendations,” he said.
Background
On March 15, 2023, a section of the Kejetia Market was ravaged by fire, causing significant distress among traders. The Ghana National Fire Service reported that the fire was started by a trader cooking with gas in her shop, which was situated near businesses selling flammable materials like turpentine and other combustibles.
The incident destroyed properties and wares worth millions of cedis and was one of over 900 fire cases recorded in the Ashanti Region between January and December 2023.
A five-member committee set up by the Minister for Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development, Hon. Daniel Botwe, to probe the incident presented its findings to the minister on May 5, 2023. However, the report’s contents remain undisclosed, leaving traders and stakeholders with lingering questions about the causes of the fire and how to prevent future occurrences.