The leadership of the Kantamanto Market Joint Traders Association in the Greater Accra Region on Tuesday called the 2012 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to brief him on the state of the Kantamanto market which was gutted by fire last Sunday.
According to them, they were informed on Monday that Nana Addo had decided to visit the market to commiserate with them, but could not do so, largely because of the standoff that ensued between the traders and the Police on that day.
Nana Addo was informed by the traders that although the market space belongs to Ghana Railways Authority, they have signed a GH¢150,000 ‘rent agreement’ with the management of Ghana Railways Authority, spanning a 50-year period.
Citing portions of the agreement, the traders stated that it was agreed between both parties that “if shops are destroyed we have to put them up on our own”. They stated categorically that they would resist any effort by government to take over the area since their agreement had not elapsed.
Although, they had a meeting with the Greater Accra Regional Minister, the leaders stressed that no official from National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) have visited them yet.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a short address to the traders expressed his deepest condolences to the victims.
He went on to entreat the relevant authorities to put in place necessary measures to forestall the reoccurrence of such disasters. He bemoaned what appeared to be a high frequency of fire outbreaks occurring in markets across the country in recent times and called for immediate steps to arrest the problem.
Some other party officials present at the meeting included, the National Chairman of NPP, Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, former Majority leader Felix Owusu Agyapong, Mr. Kwame Amoako Tuffuor and Mr. Osafo Maafo
