WE MUST PUT OLD BUILDINGS INTO BETTER USE—EUGENE BOAKYE ANTWI.
The Member of Parliament for Subin, Hon Eugene Boakye Antwi has called on stakeholders in the local government system to start a discussion on how to put into better use and shape old buildings in the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country.
He noted that these facilities either private or public may have lost their relevance or outlived their purposes but could be put into better shape to serve better purposes.
Addressing the media at Adum during a tour of some facilities that caught fire recently on Wednesday morning, Hon Antwi said a closer look at the buildings that were gutted by fire showed that they had outlived the times we are in.
He disclosed some of the wirings and fittings showed lack of modernity, adding these could easily catch fire when power fluctuates within long periods.
‘’A closer look at the buildings that I inspected showed that they are very old and may not have had robust wiring to have forestalled what happened from occurring in the first place’’, the MP posited.
SOLUTIONS:
Hon Antwi proposed that such old buildings that may have been around between 50 and 100 years be subjected to periodic checks to see its usefulness or structural strength.
Those buildings failing to meet these standards, the Subin MP suggested could be pulled down and rebuilt to forestall the recurring incidences of fire outbreaks.
Hon Antwi noted his readiness to start the discussion with the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly so they could find a way to ensure that every building in the jurisdiction has securities against fires that could arise from power fluctuations.
‘’I am thankful to the Officers from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) for their prompt responses to the two fires that engulfed the Agyekum building and the one at the New Times Corporation street and I pray we learn the lesson not to light incense and candles at atmospheres that are fertile for fire outbreaks’’, Hon Antwi stated.
VISIT TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS:
Earlier, Hon Eugene Boakye Antwi visited the Ashanti Regional Police Headquarters to formally welcome the new Regional Commander to office.
The MP told the media after the brief meeting with the Regional Commander that security is a shared responsibility.
He noted while the Police does its part to maintain law and order, the citizenry are also required to provide adequate information to make the work of the Police easy.
He pledged his support to the regional commander to ensure that adequate and appropriate security is provided to the people of the Subin constituency and to those in the Kumasi Metropolis.
