The Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Hon. Richard Ofori-Agyeman Boadi, popularly known as King Zuba, has visited the scene of the recent fire outbreak at Dagomba Line in the Afful Nkwanta Electoral Area, expressing sympathy to the victims and donating relief items to support those affected.
Describing the incident as painful and disturbing, the KMA Mayor said the Assembly, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), is working to ascertain the cause of the fire outbreak and prevent future occurrences.
Hon. Ofori-Agyeman Boadi noted with concern that Dagomba Line experiences fire outbreaks almost every year, a situation he described as unacceptable and worrying. He attributed the recurring incidents to unsafe living practices and poor adherence to fire safety measures.
According to him, residents of the area must change certain behaviours and strictly comply with safety guidelines provided by NADMO and the KMA in order to curb the frequent fire outbreaks.
“It is very disappointing for people to lose their hard-earned livelihoods to fire every year,” he said, adding that collective effort and lasting preventive measures are needed to bring the situation under control.
Dagomba line contains wooden structures that’s slums where the settlers are predominantly from the northern part of Ghana but trading their businesses in Kumasi.
The Mayor made these remarks during his visit to the community, where it was reported that the fire incident has rendered over 3,000 residents homeless and destroyed several makeshift structures.
As part of efforts to bring relief to the victims, Hon. Ofori-Agyeman Boadi donated assorted items including second-hand clothing, bags of rice, student mattresses, plastic bowls and buckets, cups, maize, mosquito nets, and other essential supplies.
He handed over the items to local authorities and the Assembly Member for the Afful Nkwanta Electoral Area, Hon. Daniel Otuo Acheampong, for onward distribution to the affected residents.
The Mayor appealed to the authorities in charge of the distribution to ensure fairness and transparency, stressing that the items should be shared equitably, with special consideration given to women and other vulnerable persons affected by the disaster.
The Chairman of the Oforikrom Dagomba Line Scrap Dealers Association, Mr. Mohammed Salifu, assured that the association would take all necessary steps to ensure that such an incident does not recur. He said the group would intensify monitoring of activities within the area to promote safety and prevent future fire outbreaks.
Mr. Salifu further explained that the slum-like nature of the community made it difficult for the Ghana National Fire Service to gain quick access to the scene, a situation that contributed to the rapid spread of the fire and the destruction of hundreds of properties within a short period.
