Josiah
The administration of President John Dramani Mahama has donated one million cedis to support victims of the fire disaster that ravaged the Kantamanto Market in Accra on January 2, 2025.
The donation follows a pledge made by President Mahama when the Kantamanto Traders Association, comprising 13 different groups—including the Used Clothes Traders Association, Egg Sellers Association, Hair Dressers Association, Platform Association, Railway No. 2 Sellers Association, Youth Clothe Sellers Association, Shoe Sellers Association, and BMS—paid a courtesy call on him a week after he officially assumed office.
Chief of Staff, Mr. Julius Debrah, who presented the donation on behalf of the President, also expressed the administration’s commitment to facilitating plans to reconstruct the market into a modern multi-purpose facility to enhance the businesses of used clothes dealers and other traders.
“There is hope. The President was elected to solve problems, and he is ready to help without political bias,” Mr. Debrah stated.
The Chief of Staff conveyed the government’s sympathies, acknowledging the traders’ heavy losses during these difficult times. He emphasized the importance of engaging in dialogue to redesign the market, improve accessibility for emergency response, and ensure adequate security measures to prevent future disasters.
Rev. Opoku Afreh, Chairman of the Kantamanto Traders Association, speaking on behalf of the 13 groups, expressed gratitude to the President for the support.
He highlighted the extent of the devastation, revealing that over half of the market was completely destroyed, including millions of cedis in sales that were yet to be deposited in banks.
“One wholesale shop, which had never been affected before, and bales of clothes worth $1.7 million were totally destroyed,” he emphasized.
Rev. Opoku further disclosed that they had negotiated a deal with ACCESS Bank, which is prepared to provide a $100 million loan to construct a modern market. However, he called for government intervention to resolve a dispute over the affected land.
The event was attended by the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff, Stanislav Dogbe and Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, the President’s Legal Advisor, Marietta Brew Oppong, and other presidential staffers.
The January 7 Kantamanto Market fire disaster resulted in the destruction of more than 7,000 shops.
