The Herald’s profiling of the recent market fire outbreaks in major cities of the country, suggest a pattern reminiscent of the serial killing of women that plague the nation under ex-President Jerry John Rawlings, in the latter part of his eight years tenure and made his government very unpopular among Ghanaian women. Just like the cold blooded murders of the women from 1997 to 2001, the fire disasters appears to be specifically targeted at hitting the most basic economic hub of the country, mainly run by women. The horrific serial killings had left over 34 women dead, which created fear and horror amongst Ghanaian women with many of them even refusing to carry out religious activities at church, especially all-night service as they risked being killed. Areas like Mataheko, Kisseman, Adenta and Spintex Road, all suburbs of Accra, as well as Kumasi had recorded these terrifying murders, with naked corpses dumped visibly mostly on pathways with substances suspected to be semen oozing from their vagina, creating the impression that the women were raped before being killed by their assailants. In the case of the recent sporadic fire outbreaks, most of the market women have been grounded and rendered jobless. Those who had to rely on banks for loans at high interest rates might soon have the banks chasing them or even selling their collateral to offset their debts. The deliberate killing of the women and the insecurity it evoked, became a political weapon against Mr. Rawlings, whose party was going for elections in 2000, with the late President Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills as the Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). as the then government looked heartless in the eyes of Ghanaian women. Many years have passed, but the mystery surrounding the serial killing of women was yet to be unraveled even with the arrest, prosecution and jailing of Charles Quansah, who insists he was framed up and tortured by police officers, led by Superintendent David Asante Apeatu, who later became Police CID boss, to confess killing the poor women, some of whose families could not be traced, hence were given mass burial. Inspector Gove, Nipa, and some other officers were also mentioned to have been involved in the torture and frame up of Mr. Charles Quansah, currently on death roll at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, still maintaining his innocence 12 years after his conviction. The market fire disasters begun last year, prior to the 2012 general elections, with Mallam, Madina, Makola and Asafo markets in Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions respectively having their share of the burnings. The wives of some politicians, like the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo and his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, used the disasters as political platforms to make promises to women, promising to repair the markets and modernize them. It took the intervention of a group calling itself Concerned Market Women Association, to issue a statement warning people to stop burning the market for politicians. Mrs. Samira Bawumia and Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, were also warned to stop visiting the fire gutted markets, since it gave the impression that the fires were deliberately being set for them to empathize with the women, who had lost their wares. Tudu, Kantamanto, Makola Number Two, Dome and other places have all gone up in flames recently. Electric Transformer at the Achimota Sub-Station have also been burnt in recent times. The latest fire which happed last Tuesday, led to conclusion that the fires, could be the work of arsons. Deputy Trade Minister, Nii Lante Vanderpuje was one person who strongly believes the fires are the work of criminally-minded individuals. President John Dramani Mahama, yesterday visited the burnt market to assess the extent of damage caused by the fire. He is said to have announced that foreign experts could soon be engaged in investigating and nailing those behind the fire outbreaks.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:38:55 +0000
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