Defence Minister assures disaster victims

Defence Minister, Mr Woyongo with his team

Portion of the burnt market facilities

Defence Minister and MP for Navrongo Central, Mark Woyongo says adequate provision have been made by the regional AESL to re-gravel the new Navrongo Market which is currently under construction. A letter to that effect have been worked on and forwarded to the Local Government Ministry for consideration. Moreover the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Assembly is working around the clock to extend electricity to the market so as to entice business owners to relocate to the new site. He said due to the poor nature of the new market site, people particularly market women feel reluctant to move to the site, stressing that with the re-graveling in place business operators will develop the interest of relocating their wares to operate. Mr Woyongo who gave the assurance in an interview with Radio Ghana said priority attention would be given to the new market to ease congestion at the central market. He gave the assurance during an assessment  tour to the Navrongo central market that was recently gutted by fire in February, 2013. Properties running into thousands of cedis were destroyed in the said fire outbreak which saw fire service personnel having a tough time to salvage the situation due to lack of access routes to the market. Mr Woyongo assured victims of the fire disaster to exercise restraints whilst the assembly takes steps to alleviate their plight. According to him several interventional measures have been put in place to assist them. He said through the support of Ash Foam victims of the latest disaster would be supported with 200 mattresses, buckets, blankets, bed-sheets, cups and roofing sheets among other relief items. The roofing sheets he said would be given to the assembly to help provide shelter to the new market. He commended the assembly  for the support so far and urged them to fast track the report worked on by the committee set up to investigate into the fire outbreak. He also urged the assembly to consider providing modern and well laid out market structures with access routes to avert any future occurrence. In response to Mr Woyongo’s call, the Municipal Chief Executive, Emmanuel Andema who attributed the cause of the fire to negligence said the committee is working tirelessly to come out with a credible report and would ensure that all affected victims numbering 98 persons are assisted to help resuscitate their collapsed businesses.

GBC                                                           END                                                                    IA/