By Emmanuel Oti Acheampong
A five-member committee tasked with inquiries into the fire that destroyed parts of the newly constructed Kejetia Market in the Ashanti Region has delivered its findings to the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development (MLGDRD), Daniel Botwe.
The report was presented following the completion of work by the five-member committee chaired by Professor Theophilus Adjei-Kumi, a lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s Department of Construction Technology and Management.
The committee, which was entrusted with completing its conclusions within three weeks, was formed on March 17, 2023, after a fire destroyed parts of the Kejetia market on March 15, 2023.
Professor Theophilus Adjei-Kumi, head of the committee, presented the report and thanked the minister for entrusting the members with such a significant task, calling it an honour for them.
Mr. Daniel Botwe, upon receipt of the report, expressed his appreciation to the committee members for the high quality of the study and their dedication, which culminated in its prompt submission. He pledged his commitment to undertake significant efforts in cooperation with relevant government agencies and other stakeholders to carry out the recommendations in the report.
“The government takes seriously the occurrences of fire disasters in major markets across the country in recent years, given the government’s massive investments in these markets,” he added.
He urged the boards and management of the various markets to be proactive and imaginative in their work in order to avoid future market disasters and protect such national assets.
Other members of the committee are Mr. Francis Koffie-ESQ, a private legal practitioner and Managing Director of M/S Koffie and Partners; Mr. Kofi Ampong, property manager, and real estate consultant; Mr. Daniel Kwaku Denteh, Deputy Director General- National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO); and Mrs. Emelia Ayebeng Botchway Regional Coordinating Council as Member/secretary.
