Nana Agyenim Boateng I, Amoamanhene and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Kejetia Market says the suggestion that the burnt area at the Kejetia market should be closed for an extra one week was based on expert’s advice.
Addressing the media in Kumasi, the Vice Chair said the expert from Avangarde Design services, after initial investigations recommended that the burnt area be cordoned off to allow for integrity test of the entire section.
This, he noted was to enable them to properly access the degree of damage to systems including the Electrical, Mechanical and Water in the entire portion.
‘’The Board based on advice from the expert who had carried out initial checks at the burnt area noted that we allow for a week’s interval for a third party to check the systems in the area before we allow for entry and so what our media release conveyed was not something any of us decided to do for any other ulterior or negative motives’’, the Vice Chair stated.
Details:
The Vice Chair said the plan of action and recommendation was for us to completely isolate the affected area with its connections until the inspections and the test results were concluded.
We were to review, repair and re-commission the fire pumps mechanically and electrically by a third party as recommended and advised by Contracta in the past.
Furthermore, we were to remove any material unrelated to the fire pump’s operation from the Pump Room.
‘’Additionally among other things we were to review the maintenance, operations and safety plans available in the market Phase 1 staff to improving the predictive or corrective maintenance actions and regular inspections practices’’, the Vice Chairman stated.
Metering System Explanation:
Addressing the disinformation about the metering system at Kejetia, the Vice Board Chairman said the market has the best in the country.
He said the Kejetia Market is on the bulk Metering system which has demarcation for every line of installation with its individual switches.
The Vice chairman said the system is what is being used by all the shopping malls in the country and other big companies.
“People have been given the impression that one meter is being used by the Kejetia traders at the market but it is rather a bulk Metering system we are operating where all the electrical lines converge at one point but each of the lines have their own switches and this is the reason that even after the fire outbreak we were able to isolate the lines that were affected with the unaffected having electricity”, Nana Boateng explained.
Mayor:
On his part Board Chairman of the Kejetia Market and Mayor for Kumasi, Hon Sam Pyne said it is erroneous for people to impute ill motives to the directive the Board gave in the aftermath of the fire outbreak.
He noted that in situations like fire outbreaks and others, the lives of people were important to protect than any other thing.
The Mayor noted that KMA and the managers of the Kejetia market stand ready to protect the lives of the people trading in the arena and to also protect the investments government has put into the development of the market.
‘’I will take this opportunity to educate that the Kejetia is being run by a limited liability company by name Kejetia Market Company Limited and therefore as Board members we supervise their actions and would therefore not allow anything untoward to be carried out here and whiles waiting for the yet to be inaugurated committee to conduct and finish their investigations we would do all we can to safeguard lives and property here’’, the Mayor stressed.
Story By Michael Ofosu-Afriyie, Kumasi.