Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammi Awuku, has urged the government to take proactive steps to address the recurring market fires affecting various communities across the country.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Monday, March 24, Mr. Awuku emphasized the importance of implementing recommendations from previous investigations into similar incidents to prevent future occurrences.
His concerns were triggered by the recent devastating fire at Adum in Kumasi, which caused significant damage to goods and properties, affecting numerous traders and creating distress among victims.
He noted that while investigations are conducted after such disasters, the failure to act on their findings has allowed market fires to remain a persistent challenge.
“Now we have Adum on our hands. Not too long ago, we had other places. What are we doing as a people to also help correct some of these structural issues? The earlier report of some of these incidents, what happened to it? How did we deal with the structural issues that came up?
“How are we taking steps to ensure that other markets are also not affected? And very soon, you will also be approaching the dry season after this rainy season and you are likely going to face some of these issues,” he stated.
Mr. Awuku called for urgent measures to ensure the safety of markets nationwide, stressing that beyond investigating fire outbreaks, authorities must take decisive steps to implement solutions.