AMA bans goat selling in markets to curb fires
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), as part of measures to curb the persistent fire outbreaks within the metropolis, has banned the selling of goats and other animals in unapproved market places.
The ban is to ensure that animals are sold at the approved markets for such purposes to avoid congestion in other markets.
The Assembly has adopted several measures in addition to the ban on selling goats, such as forming a taskforce in collaboration with the Electricity Company of Ghana to disconnect illegal electrical connections in the various markets.
The measures were outlined when the Chief Executive Officer of the AMA, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, met with officials of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to effectively strategize and deal with fire outbreaks in Accra.
According to Mr. Vanderpuije, the Security Committee of the Assembly is putting up modalities that will ensure full compliance with certain regulations that will help prevent fires.
Mr. Vanderpuije indicated that, he would rally support from international organizations for the GNFS to be well equipped to take up the mandate of responding to emergencies.
He further pledged his support for the service and outlined some measures to fight fire in the metropolis.
Since the beginning of this year, sixty fire outbreaks have been recorded in Accra and three lives have
been lost as a result.
The AMA Boss said the Assembly will work with the Ghana Police Service to ensure that illegal roadblocks for social activities were stopped.
The Chief Fire Officer of the Ghana Fire Service, Dr Albert Brown Gaizie on his part said indiscipline, negligence, lack of access routes coupled with poor traffic management are the banes of fighting fires in the country.
Dr. Gaizie noted that these activities make it difficult in fighting outbreak fires in the country and added that residents and motorists in Accra have no respect for sirens and thus affects timely fire fighting.
He said most of the fires occur as a result of carelessness and negligence on the part of peoples the laws are made to protect.
The Chief Fire Officer said traffic, basic and simple fire safety management in the metropolis has been thrown away as a result of gross indiscipline in the country.
He gave the assurance that the service will compliment the efforts of other agencies to ensure safety.
Dr. Gaizie appealed to the general public to observe and show some respect to emergency response during the rush hours of the day.
He said the service is determined to weed some miscreants from the service hence the dismissal of some officers who were found to have issued fire certificates to companies without them going through the appropriate channel.