Adum Fire: Developers defy city authorities, start reconstructing fire ravaged buildings - MyJoyOnline (2025)

Some developers are actively reconstructing one of the three storey buildings razed by a recent fire in the Adum Blue Light arena.

JoyNews is unable to confirm persons responsible for the redevelopment ahead of a structural integrity test which is yet to be made public.

But the KMA after being notified by journalists at a press conference on Monday is yet to take any action.

On 21st March, a wildfire consumed three storey structures and many container stalls at Adum Blue Light Arena in Kumasi.

According to the National Disaster Management Organisation, over 2900 people were affected.

Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene halted attempts of affected persons to rebuild, indicating the need for a structural integrity test.

“Those buildings have impaired so much damage to the extent that if we don’t take steps now and intervene and we allow people to go in there it may collapse”, he said.

But before the city authorities give authorisation to the traders and developers to reconstruct the affected buildings, some works are already ongoing.

It started with sand, stones and other building materials being moved gradually into the blue light arena which was destroyed by fire.

Early this week, construction workers moved into one of the affected buildings to cart away debris left behind by the inferno.

Now, some of the concrete works affected by the fire have been pulled down and rebuilt, especially on the ground floor of the storey building.

At a press conference on Monday, the City Mayor's attention was drawn to the development by the media.

In a response, the Mayor emphatically said, “Whatever construction they do today, will be demolished on Tuesday night. If an action is taken this afternoon, it will be chaotic.”

Several donations, including bags of cement, have come in for the traders affected by the market fire.

But the metro chief executive, Richard Boadi, is unhappy with the direct donation to the traders.

“The NPP is misbehaving in that area. Every day, every time, you hear one NPP person going to donate cement to the people themselves without involving government. So the people don’t own the land and the structures on them, so if the political party donates cement to the victims, what are they encouraging?”, he asked.

For now, construction workers are getting busy rebuilding, while some traders have mounted umbrellas in the area to ply their wares.

Hopefully, the authorities will soon bring finality on the fate of the affected traders who are anxious to restart their lives.

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