Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies across the country have been directed to redesign all markets as a measure to deal with the rampant fire outbreaks which have cost the nation millions of Ghana cedis.

Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr. James Agalga announced this on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Tuesday.

He was discussing the contents of an expert report compiled by United States fire experts invited by President John Mahama to help unravel the mystery surrounding incessant fire outbreaks at market centres in the early parts of this year and late last year.

Strenuously refraining from laying bare the recommendations contained in the report, Mr. Agalga said a key recommendation was that the markets be redesigned because some of the fires had resulted from poor electrical wiring.

The government, the deputy Interior Minister said, had therefore directed that all markets to be redesigned to prevent future fires.

He maintained that the report will not be published because there were national security implications and doing that.

Political wranggling

Opposition politicians have repeatedly demanded that the report of the US expert group be made public.

They argue this is necessary because members of the public need to know what recommendations are contained in the report so they can take such steps as are necessary to prevent future fires and their concommitant loss of property.

But Mr. Agalga believes the calls for the publication of the fire report by the opposition are politically motivated.

He said the opposition was simply intersted in finding out whether there were any recommendations in the report that embarrass the government.

The fire outbreaks became mired in politics when President John Mahama said government was not ruling out arson.

Government communicators subsequently made categorical statements, pointing accusing fingers at opposition elements for orchestrating the fires to further their agenda of courting public disaffection for the government.

As proof of gpvernment's prognosis, some persons were arrested and put before court and charged with attempted arson. They were sutly linked to the oppsotion NPP.

The New Patriotic Party flatly denied the accusations, calling them reckless and irresponsible.

US investigators

In the midst of the political accusations and counter-accusations, the president sought external help.

American forensic investigators flew into the country to begin investigations.

Deputy Information and Media Relations Minister, Murtala Mohammed told journalists “What they are doing is that they will continue from where our security agencies are. It’s going to be a collaborative effort to ensuring that at least we unravel this mystery."

He pointed out that government is hopeful the investigations will end soon to ascertain the true cause of the fire outbreaks.

“We are hopeful that work will be completed as quickly as possible but don’t ask me how long it’s going to take them because it’s a very complex matter, it involves security and I can’t pretend to have some expertise in security. I can only hope that they will do their work as quickly as possible.”

Hidden report?

The experts were reported to have completed their investigations in July but Mr. Agalga told Joy FM Tuesday that a report was submitted to the Interior Ministry in September 2013.

He said the report had been studied and forwarded to the Presidency. 

Justifying government's decision not to make the report public, the Deputy Minister said even though the market fires were of public interest and the report is worth discussing in public, "we have to be ircumspect."

"When there are fire reports with security implications, to the extent that certain measures have to be put in place to forestall the occurrence of the outbreaks; now if those measures will involve the possible arrest of people who are susected to be behind those fires, you don't want to come out and disclose the measures you want to put in place," he stated.

"Why"? show host Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah asked, "Because if you did that you could compromise security to that entent'" he replied.

Mr. Agalga, who is also the Member of Parliament for Builsa North, insisted that although the report had not been made public, government was taking steps to prevent fires in the future.

Amongst the steps are agreements between the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Water Company to ensure the availability of water in water hiderants for purposes of fighting fires and the resourcing of the GNFS with modern tools.