Traders affected by the recent fire incident at the Makola Shopping Mall have called on the government to make financial commitments directly to them, but not through the managers of the market, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
According to them, if any relief package is handed to SSNIT for onward compensation, they will not receive it.
“The last time there was fire here, they didn’t pay us and I don’t know if someone is more Ghanaian than the other because others are paid and others are not paid and so if there is something that the government will want to give us, it should not pass through SSNIT because it will not get to us, it should come directly to us.”
On October 20, parts of the Makola Shopping Mall were gutted by a late-night blaze, resulting in the destruction of about 200 makeshift structures and wares worth millions of Ghana cedis.
Items including jewelry, perfumes, wigs, cosmetics, hair products, and dresses worth millions of Ghana cedis were consumed by the late-night inferno.
Fortunately, there were no reported casualties, although the cause of the fire remains unknown.
While some traders were counting their losses, eyewitnesses stressed the need for lasting solutions to fire outbreaks including addressing the siting of make shift structures to ensure smooth access to stores in case of disasters.