MP for Navrongo Central tour burnt market

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Navrongo The Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central, Mr. Mark Woyongo has paid a visit to the Navrongo market which got burnt on the 2th of February, 2013. The visit was to commiserate with the victims of the fire disaster. The fire incidence was recorded on February 24, 2013 at about 3 pm. Initial reports indicated that the cause of the fire was as a result of a lighted incense which drop on a polythene bag containing cosmetics which later exploded in one of the metal containers. At the time of the disaster, the MP, who is also the Minister of Defense, was on assignment in the Ivory Coast for the ECOWAS meeting on Mali. On his return he thought it wise to visit the victims and also donate some items to mitigate their loss. Addressing the traders, Mr. Woyongo assured them that the Kassena-Nankana East Municipal Assembly will reconstruct the stalls and hand them back to the victims whose stores got burnt. He however bemoaned the lack of access roads in the market which made it difficult for personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service to move through the market to fight the fire. He expressed the hope that the Municipal assembly taken cognizance of the challenge and will put in place a well laid out market so that in future when there is a fire, personnel can move freely through the market with their fire tenders to quench the fire. “Navrongo is a municipality and we have to develop and give way to new and modern ways of doing things to befit the status of a municipal assembly,” he said. Mr. Woyongo said added that he will make a representation to the Ministry of Local Government to the release of funds for the re-gravelling of the new market under construction and extension of electricity to allow for occupation by the traders. Mr. Woyongo donated 200 pieces each of mattress, buckets, bedsheets, pillows and cups to the fire victims. He also pledged to get some iron roofing sheets for the assembly to put up more stalls at the new market for the traders. Mr. Woyongo also encourage the traders to take personal insurance so that in the such unfortunate circumstances they can fall on their insurers for support The Municipal Chief Executives, Mr. Emmanuel Andema said a committee has been constituted to investigate the matter and expressed the hope that they will come out with appropriate recommendation to guide the assembly on how to prevent future disasters. One of the fire victims, who gave her name as Madam Rose in an interview appealed to the MP and the Municipal Assembly to help them re-negotiate with the creditors to give them grace period before they resume repayment of the loans to the banks and lending institutions that have advanced loans to the market women. -End-