The five-member Committee set up by the Minister for Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development (MLGDRD), Hon. Daniel Botwe to probe the fire that gutted parts of the newly constructed Kejetia market in Kumasi, Ashanti Region presented its report to the Sector Minister this morning of 5^th May, 2023.

The Committee comprise; Professor Theophilus Adjei-Kumi, a lecturer at the Department of Construction Technology and Management at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as Chair, Mr. Francis Koffie-ESQ, private legal practitioner and managing director, M/S Koffie and Partners, Mr. Kofi Ampong; valuer, property manager and real estate consultant,  Mr. Daniel Kwaku Denteh, deputy director general- National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), and   Mrs Emelia Ayebeng Botchway; regional coordinating director at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council  as members.

Presenting the report, the chairman thanked the minister for the opportunity given them to do this work, which involved several engagements with several users and stakeholders of the market to arrive at its findings and recommendations.

Receiving the report, Hon. Daniel Botwe thanked the committee members for the quality of the report and their dedication, which resulted in its timely submission.

He assured the committee of his commitment to taking serious actions in consultation with the relevant government agencies and other stakeholders to follow through with the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report.

Government takes serious view of occurrences of fire disasters in major markets across the country in recent years, considering the huge investments made by government into these markets.

He urged the Board and Management of the various markets to be proactive and innovative their work to forestall any future disasters in the markets and also safeguard such national assets.

Source: PRU-MLGDRD

 A Deputy Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development Deputy Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development Hon Osei Bonsu Amoah, has inaugurated a five-member committee to probe the fire that gutted the Kejetia Market in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

The Deputy Minister conducted the inauguration on behalf of the Sector Minister, Hon. Daniel Botwe tasked the Committee to be fair and objective in its inquiry and submit its findings and recommendations within three weeks.

As part of its terms of reference, the Committee was to ascertain the cause of the fire outbreak at the Market, which happened on the 15th of March 2023; inquire into the efficient operation, maintenance, and management of the Market; give reasons for its findings and make recommendations on prevention towards the occurrence of disasters and ensure efficient operation and management of the Market, among others.

The Committee was also to submit its report within three weeks of its establishment to the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development.

The membership of the Committee comprises Professor Theophilus Adjei-Kumi from the Department of Construction Technology and Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology as the chairman, Mr. Francis Koffie, a Private legal Practitioner, Managing Director of M/S Koffie & Partners, Law Conclave, member of the Committee; Mr. Kofi Ampong a Valuer/Property Manager of Real Estate Consultant, a member; Mr. Daniel Kwaku Denteh, the Deputy Director General of the National Disaster Management Organisation in charge of finance and administration, a member and Mrs. Emelia Ayebeng Botchway, the Chief Director at the Ashanti  Regional Coordinating Council, Sectary to the Committee.

The Honourable Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Hon. Daniel Botwe has tasked the media to hold local authorities responsible for their actions and inefficiencies that results in the perennial flooding in some parts of the country whenever the rains come. The Hon. Minister emphasised that duty bearers, the local authorities are responsible for implementing interventions that will mitigate and ameliorate the impact of flooding within their local areas.

The Hon. Minister in his submission, indicated that by performance standards, MMDAs are required to to utilise 20 percent of their Internal Generated Fund (IGF) to support improvement in sanitation and waste management and drainage maintenance within their localities. He, therefore, emphasised that it is important for citizens to know how their revenues are utilised.

According to the Minister, it is the responsibility of every local Assembly to identify flooding hotspots within its catchment area and develop plans to minimise and mitigate the impact of flooding in their jurisdictions.

The Hon. Minister made these remarks at a meeting with Chief Executives and their Coordinating Directors of beneficiary Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project at the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development on Friday 24^th March, 2023. Under the Project, the beneficiary Assemblies are given grants to support improvement and maintenance of drainage infrastructure through a performance-based grant system. The grants  disbursed to the 17 Assemblies among others was to be used to desilt and dredge priority drainage infrastructure and also procure equipment needed to facilitate the execution of these activities.

He indicated that this year a total amount of GHC7, 150,500.00 will be disbursed as grants to the 17 GARID Assemblies and each of the beneficiary Assemblies will receive GHC420,971.00.

The GARID Project is an inter-ministerial project implemented by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR)and led by the Ministry of Works and Housing (MWH).

The Project Development Objective is to improve drainage, solid waste management and provision of services and infrastructure in priority flood-prone informal settlements within the Odaw Basin.