A group calling itself Coalition of Market Women has blamed politicians for the series of fire outbreaks in major markets in the country. It also condemned “the political gimmick being played by some politicians in recent times”. According to a release issued on Wednesday by Daavi Emilia Adzo and Mary Aframea, president and Secretary of the group respectively, some politicians have sought to create and take advantage of any kind of tragedy and misfortune that befall market women, particularly during election periods and they (politicians) hurriedly make capital of the misfortune. “We recall similar situations in the year 2000, when there were series of fire outbreaks in markets across the country few months before the general elections. We have the course to believe that this is just a repetition of what happened in 2000. We also have the course to believe, that the same politicians who are quick to arrive at such scenes, under the guise of sympathizing with the victims, are often the prime suspects behind these heinous and dastardly crimes,” the group alleged. The statement criticized separate visits by wife of NPP flagbearer Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Mayor of Accra Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije shortly after the fire incident that razed down structures at the Mallam Market a couple of weeks ago, describing them as mpves to score cheap political points. “When did the wife of Akuffo Addo become a NADMO cordinator? We have just gathered information that Mrs. Akuffo Addo is preparing to come and visit the part of the Madina market that got burnt Tuesday morning. We members of the Coalition of Market Women wish to place on record, that this tragedy has brought much sorrow to all market women and for that matter any attempt by politicians to make political capital out of it, will amount to insensitivity to the plight of the women,” the statement cautioned. The Coalition has subsequently “adviced all political parties to stay out of this tragedy and allow the NADMO to do its work in settling those of us who have lost our belongings in the Madina fire outbreak”.