From Alfred Adams
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Takoradi Constituency, Kobina Okyere Darko-Mensah, yesterday gave new life to the victims of the Takoradi Market Circle fire incident, when he went to the aid of the women financially.
The MP, who paid a working visit to the victims, mainly women, whose sheds and wares were razed down by fire, did not only console the victims verbally, but had re-assuring words for them.
MP Darko-Mensah, popularly known as ‘Kobby’, told the market women he was deeply saddened by the incident, which had destroyed their business. He said, as an MP, he could not sit unconcerned and watch his mothers singularly bear the cost of the damage by fire.
As a result, he has already liaised with professional carpenters to rebuild the burnt sheds at no cost to the victims. He said, for now, he had purchased five packets of iron sheets for the roofing of the sheds.
Kobby told the women: “What will be the value, as an MP, if I watch you singularly foot the bill for the raising of the sheds? It is this reason that I have come to your aid, to show you that I have love for market women.”
The MP added that for now, what was left was for the Market Manager to give him the green light to rebuild the sheds for the victims. He told the market women that by Monday the sheds should be ready, which statement was greeted with joy and applause .
It would be recalled that part of the Takoradi Market Circle Market was on the night of Saturday razed by fire, but the swift intervention of the personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service saved the market from being burnt completely. Eight sheds were said to have been burnt, with beans sellers being the major casualties.
It is not exactly known what caused the fire, but it is believed that a coal pot might have caused it. Continuing, the MP told the market women that he had liaised also with a micro finance company, which had agreed to lend them loans for the start up of their businesses.
A list of the victims, numbering about 15, has since been dispatched to the financial company. For those whose names were not captured, the MP asked them to present their names to his office for onward submission to the micro finance company.