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| Kotokoraba Market women selling in the sun |
Like the Kantamanto market in the Greater Accra region, the Kotokuraba market serves as the main market center for all kinds of trade activities for people within the region.
Kotokuraba market is so crowded that, there is little space left between two stores used as a pathway for purchasers to walk through while the stores itself are mainly attached to each other without any space.
This will make it very difficult for fire service personal to enter and rescue traders in any unforeseen disaster.
A visit to the market on Monday by The Independent observed that, anytime a bargain hunter tries to move from one shop to the other, one usually hit the shoulder of a fellow which makes it difficult for smooth movement.
The paper also observed that, some shop owners continue to cook in the market even though they have been advised by the Cape Coast Metro Fire command to be extra vigilant with the use of fire in the market.
The Independent further observed that, the market becomes much more crowded on Sundays where all the roads were blocked and used for trading activities.
Information gathered proved that, about two years ago, the Kotokuraba market got burnt due to illegal power connection and use of fire within the market.
A staff (name withheld) of the Cape Coast Metro Fire Command who spoke to the paper on Monday revealed that, her outfit has formed a prevention team that normally visit the Kotokuraba market to educate the traders on fire preventions.
According to her, the traders have turned a deaf ear to what they educate them on adding, traders only dance to the tune of music played at the grounds and not the message from the fire service officials.
“It’s sad to organize such educative program on fire and the market women come to dance only to the music without even having time to listen to what we have for them” she said.
She further stated that, her office has written to the Cape Coast Metropolitan Chief Executive officer on what ought to be done to prevent any unforeseen occurrence a situation she said, have since not received any response from the assembly.
She however urged Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to tighten and enforce their bylaws to prevent any fire outbreak.
The Independent can state on authority that, should the Kotokuraba market be on fire, about thousands of Ghana cedis would be lost if the necessary mechanisms are not put in place to stop the illegal power connections and use of fire for cooking in the market, it will be a major disaster to the nation.
Although there is a new market under construction, the pace at which construction works were undertaken is slow that, the market seems not to be built anytime soon.
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