Assemblies urged to enforce by-laws on fire

Mr Issifu Alhassan, an Assistant Divisional Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), has called on metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to firmly enforce their by-laws on fire. The use of coal pot and gas, the main cause of rampant fire outbreaks in the country�s markets, must end, he said. Mr Alhassan, the Fire Safety Officer for Ashanti, insisted that using naked fire at the market for whatever purpose was illegal. He was speaking at a day's workshop for traders at the Kumasi Central Market to educate them on the need save with the banks and to provide insurance cover for themselves and their businesses. It was organized by the National Insurance Commission (NIC) in collaboration with GNFS, as part of activities to mark the Financial Literacy Week celebration. Mr Alhassan expressed concern about the high rate of illegal electricity connections at the market, saying that, it had over the years contributed to fire disasters there. He urged the authorities of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, liaise with the Electricity Company of Ghana to ensure that the proper thing was done. The traders, he said, should also be fire conscious and at all times refrain from activities that could lead to fire outbreak. Mr Alhassan asked gas users to constantly check their gas cylinders for leakages and ensure that their gas tubes were changed on regular basis. Mr Isaac Buabeng, Head of Marketing, Research and External Relations at the NIC, advised the traders to insure their businesses to protect them against any unwanted incident.