THE scene at the Kantamanto Market in Accra on Monday night was chaotic and pathetic as traders who had lost their property to the fire outbreak there wept uncontrollably.
According to media reports, the fire was so intense that it raged for many hours before it was brought under control by fire fighters who used eight fire tenders, supported by three water tankers.
But that was after the traders had lost wares worth thousands of Ghana cedis.
The fire outbreak at Kantamanto mirrors the very visible malaise of chaotic planning that has become a characteristic feature of many markets in the country.
Fire outbreaks in our markets have become an annual ritual and the insurance companies know that so well that they had reportedly refused to insure the traders at Kantamanto because of the lack of access routes to the market. That alone should have notified the traders that they were running businesses that could at any point in time be razed by fire.
But, unfortunately, such serious issues are usually ignored until disaster strikes and there is loss of lives or property.
Clearly, our metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies have an arduous task at hand, especially as some of these traders can get really intransigent and difficult to deal with.
All over the country, major markets are improperly planned and the problem is compounded by the activities of hawkers who operate around the markets on table tops, creating serious congestion and churning waste in amazing volumes.
Now it is apt to assume that the typical Ghanaian market should be a poorly planned and chaotic place occupied by traders whose wares are uninsured. This has become so normal and something must be done urgently to radically change the planning of our markets to ensure that despite the beehive of activities, they remain serene and safe.
It is depressing to note that these seriously congested places are also centres where some people cook food, not just for themselves but also to sell to the traders and people who go there to shop. This shows a poor appreciation of the dangers such practices pose and the need to educate the traders to observe simple safety practices cannot be dismissed.
The issue is compounded by the ever threatening and dangerous issue of illegal electricity connection. Indeed, many of the traders complain about delays by the Electricity Company of Ghana in providing them with the service, hence the resort to illegal connections with the help of poorly trained electricians.
And it appears the markets are not so well monitored to ensure that the proper thing is done to forestall such avoidable disasters.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that it is time for our municipal and metropolitan assemblies to deal decisively with the issue of our markets doubling as food joints to avoid future outbreaks of fire.
For so long a time there has been talk but very little action, but that should not continue to be the trend. The government has promised to investigate the issue to find the real cause of the fire in order to prevent future occurrences.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends the government for the concern shown. However, we wish to caution that whatever findings are made should not end up abandoned on the shelves but they should inform future measures and policies for the siting and planning of our markets.
Our traders cannot continue to suffer the brunt of such disasters. But if we continue to ignore the regulations meant to order our actions, fire disasters like what occurred at Kantamanto will continue to make our lives miserable.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to stop barking and deal decisively with those who breach assembly bye-laws.
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