Ask Nana Kow Blankson

June 10, 2013

There is no doubt that our beloved country Ghana is under serious threat by arsonists who are causing national bleeding and unmitigated misery by burning markets across the country and other sensitive economy areas.

The burning of markets and other areas did not start this year. In fact, it started after the late President John Atta Mills was sworn into office till he died last year. And when President John Mahama assumed office the intensity of scorching of property continued till he won the elections in December 2012, and it has not abated till this day.

But the sad thing is that to this day, the country has not had a break on who are behind these barbaric acts as they continue to have a field day while new victims come on board. My rough estimate puts the properties which have gone up in smoke for the past four and half years into trillions of Cedis.

There is smoke everywhere and people, especially market traders are living in perpetual fear as they do not know when next the nation wreckers will strike. Life savings of people have been gutted by fire as we continue to search for the perpetrators and answers.

For the records, we saw Asafo Market in Kumasi go up in smoke sometime last year, which also saw the Mallam Market in Accra suffering a similar fate. Madina Market, also in Accra had its share of this national calamity. And so was Agbobloshie Market in Accra.

If I want to go on, I can mention Sodom and Gomorrah, a sprawling slum in the central business district of Accra where structures in that community have gone up in smoke for more than five times within the past four years.

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation also had its share of the fire outbreaks when a unit which supplies power to the corporation’s new studio caught fire.

The nine-storey building housing the Foreign Ministry with several historical documents which dates back to Ghana’s independence from Britain in 1957 was completely destroyed in 2009. The Electricity Company of Ghana sub-station at Achimota has exploded two times.

One of the storerooms of the Ministry of Information also caught fire in 2010, but for the timely intervention of the Fire Service, something dreadful might have happened. The latest is the Makola Number Two Market in Accra which was shattered by fire some days ago. Before that, the Kantamanto Market in Accra was flattered by fire. Dome Market in Accra also shares the same anguish.

The Market Circle in Takoradi was not left out as it went up in flames last year. I must say that in the run up to elections last year most of the major markets in the country were touched by fire and it seems the situation is being repeated even after the elections. I can go on and on but for time factor.

One must not lose sight of the fact that it was in the midst of these strange fire outbreaks that the Daily Searchlight told Ghanaians last year that they have received a text message from a shadowy group describing itself as the People’s Liberation Movement which claimed to be responsible for the fire outbreaks in the country. But no one knows whether the National Security made anything out of that message.

Truly, these fire outbreaks are creating insecurity in the country. For President Mahama to conduct a close-door meeting with Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur immediately he landed in Accra following his 14-day foreign tours is an indication of how worrisome the fire outbreaks have become.

The concern even hit a crescendo when President Mahama paid a visit to the Makola Number Two Market to console and assure the victims of help. Most Ghanaians now go to bed in deep thoughts wondering if they are going to be the next victims.

There is no doubt that some people are clearly behind this fire outbreaks and this is surely aimed at creating insecurity and panic in the country with the view to making the government very unpopular.

I am not making this up. In the run up to the 2012 elections we have some people who stated that if the NPP does not win the elections, Ghana would be turned into Afghanistan. Others posited that they cannot afford to live for another four years without their party being in power.

And just after the elections, elements of the NPP held a rally in Accra whereby one of them in addressing the rally stated that they have to start bombing cars and burn houses to demonstrate how serious they were.

Yet, some people are assigning very funny reasons to the causes of these rampant fire outbreaks at the markets. Some are saying it comes from electrical faults at the market. Others are attributing the outbreaks to the women who cook at the market. But just last week we had the “mother of all flimsy excuses” whereby some people stated repeatedly that mice at the markets are causing these fires.

Can a whole market burn down in less than one hour through electrical fault? The Makola Number 2 Market burnt down amidst explosions which some attributed to petrol bombs in about 30 minutes. If you watch the raging fire on television with roofing sheets flying all over the place, you cannot sit and attribute the cause of fire to mice in the market.

Some people are trying to burn the hearts of Ghanaians. They are indeed pushing the country around to serve their self-seeking parochial interests. The quest by some people to be in power at all cost is driving them to put the whole country on edge.

But one thing the arsonists may have forgotten is that we have victims of these fire outbreaks coming from different political spectrums. Therefore, they are not making the government unpopular but rather injuring the very people who have supported and continue to support them.

The victims of these fire outbreaks are going through excruciating pains in their homes. And they are praying silently. Nobody knows the words these victims are uttering to God, but believe me if you are part of this gang causing the fire outbreaks you better be warned.

As the victims sit quietly in their homes, I want them to reflect on who is cutting them deep and why they have been targeted unnecessarily. Most of these victims have gone for loans to finance their marketing activities. They have families they are taking care of. They do pay school fees and tuition of their children and wards. Yet some people in their anxiety to attain power at all cost are cutting them deep by taking their daily bread away from them.

It is gratifying to hear from President Mahama that help is coming from the United States. I strongly believe that the Federal Bureau of Investigations in the United States can greatly help the country by putting men on the ground to help smoke out these arsonists.

Even in advanced countries when they struggle to have a break on major crimes they look outside their shores for help. That does not show weakness, but strength and resolve. Therefore, Ghana will not be the first country if we go that route.

nkowblankson@yahoo.com