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Kantamanto market fire outbreak politically motivated – Vincent Ekow Assafuah

According to him, his investigation has led him to suspect a polling agent of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the just-ended general elections of being the mastermind behind the market fire.

Speaking on Asempa FM, monitored by GhanaWeb on Wednesday, Assafuah, who is also a lawyer, stated that the suspect, a man named Quaicoo, popularly known as Oboy, had given signals about the disaster before and after the elections.

“Based on my investigation, you will realize that those who set the market on fire did it in such a way that it would be very difficult for anyone, including Fire Service personnel, to salvage any of the items being burnt. I have already written to the Ghana Police Service. There is this young man at Kantamanto called Quaicoo, aka Oboy. He was a polling station agent for the NDC in Odododiodoo. This gentleman, before and after the elections, gave signals, and in his own words, as narrated to me, said, ‘As for Kantamanto, we will all lose it.’ These have been some of his words to friends and other people at Kantamanto.”

He continued, “Anybody who knows Kantamanto will tell you that these are people who live as one community. This is a man whose wife divorced him a few weeks ago, and because the financial support from his wife is no longer coming, he is now being supported financially by some people at Kantamanto. But due to politicking…”

The lawmaker added, “For the purposes of protecting the identity of the person who provided this information, I will keep their name confidential. A woman at Kantamanto told me that on Wednesday around 11 p.m., she saw this man passing by, and not long after, the market was in flames. So clearly, based on the narration from this woman and corroborating accounts from friends of this man named Quaicoo, aka Oboy, I am convinced that this incident was politically motivated.”

A devastating fire ravaged the Kantamanto market, causing extensive damage to several shops and properties.

The fire, which broke out around 1 a.m. on Thursday, January 2, 2024, was eventually contained by officers of the Ghana National Fire Service after 13 fire tenders were deployed to the scene.

Footage from the scene shows the market engulfed in smoke, with the fire visibly wreaking havoc.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Alex King Nartey, confirmed in an interview that no casualties have been reported so far.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, with authorities working to determine the source of the blaze and assess the extent of the damage.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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