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Fire outbreak at Race Course market in Kumasi
Traders at the Race Course market in Kumasi are counting their losses after an inferno gutted the market in the early hours of Monday morning.
About 60 stalls, properties and food items running into thousands of cedis have been destroyed by the fire.
It took the intervention of four fire tenders to completely douse the fire.
The cause of the fire is however yet to be established as fire officers work around the clock to salvage the debris from the incident.
Traders are salvaging the little of items razed down by the inferno.
Clothes, Animal proteins and food commodities including local spices have been burnt beyond recognition.
According to the regional fire office, they had a distress call from the National office about the fire incident and swiftly rushed to the market ti tend to the blazing inferno.
Speaking to journalists in an interview, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Henry Giwah advised traders and households in the region to take all precautionary measures as the harmattan sets in.
The racecourse market is a temporary market settlement for traders who were relocated from the old Kejetia market.
The traders are calling for an expedited completion of the stalled New Kejetia Redevelopment Market.
The fire incident is the second to hit Ghana’s second-largest city in two weeks.
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
