The Kejetia market has been devastated by fire on multiple occasions, and unfortunately, it has become a recurring annual event.
According to Nana Opoku-Amankwah, the Head of Safety and Environment at the Kejetia market facility, there have been significant deficiencies in the fire safety arrangements at the market for several years.
Interestingly, he actually made this statement in an interview with the press weeks before a fire broke out at the modern Kejetia facility, destroying traders’ goods and the market complex.
Mr. Opoku-Amankwah explained that the fire management system in place at the facility had always been severely lacking.
When asked by about the compatibility of the market’s fire tenders and hydrants, he responded that the hydrants and tenders were not compatible. This was despite the fact that someone had previously approved the system when the project was handed over to the KMA managers by contractors.
Since assuming his position, Mr. Opoku-Amankwah has conducted an evaluation of the safety system at the market, identifying the need for additional equipment to enhance safety.
He noted that the fire hydrants were not the most important piece of equipment for extinguishing fires in the market, but they were among the necessary items that needed to be acquired.
