NADMO Staff Explains Rice and Oil Donation at Adum PZ Market Fire Scene

• An official NADMO has explained that the donation of food items to victims of the Adum PZ market fire was part of their standard operating procedure
• The explanation comes after traders at the market rejected 1,500 bags of rice and 800 boxes of cooking oil from Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak
• The NADMO staff member stated that the donation was intended to support traders who had lost their livelihoods in the fire and no other reason

A young man purported to be a staff member of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has offered some explanations for taking foodstuffs to the Adum PZ market fire scene to donate to the victims.

Speaking in a TikTok video circulating on social media, the young man, wearing a NADMO T-shirt and identified as Nana Yaw Danso Abeam, explained that the donation was part of standard operating procedure.

He said, per international best practices, NADMO was required to first provide relief items to the victims before assessing the magnitude of the damage to provide the necessary support to victims.

Read also

Adum market fire victim lists the things they urgently need, omits rice and oil, video

"We provide relief items, including food, water, and shelter, to disaster victims as part of our mandate. The rice we took to the market was part of this standard package, and it was intended to support the traders who had lost their livelihoods in the fire," he said.

His explanation comes after the traders at the Adum PZ market rejected 1,500 bags of rice and 800 boxes of cooking oil from the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak.

The minister was led to the scene by Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene and NADMO staff to assess the situation and provide emergency support.

Watch the video below:

Why the Adum traders rejected the items

However, the traders rejected the items, claiming that they were not what they needed at that moment in their lives, having lost livelihoods.

The traders told the delegation that they instead wanted building materials such as bags of cement, wood, and roofing sheets to rebuild their shops.

Read also

Adum Market fire: Trader who lost 3 shops details why rice and oil donations were rejected, video

In a video circulating on social media, the traders were seen hooting at Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka and his team as they refused to accept the food donations.

The Adum market fire incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, March 21, 2025, destroying several shops and livelihoods.

Over 100 shops have reportedly been burnt down in the inferno, which took nearly three days to be brought under control.

Many of the victims of the devastating fire incident are still reeling in pain and struggling to recover from their losses.

Adum trader blames incident on dumsor

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh also reported that a trader blamed the Adum market fire incident on dumsor, a local term for power cuts.

The young man criticised the Electricity Company of Ghana and the government for their failure to address the incessant power cuts.

It is plausible that dumsor is to blame, with the Ghana National Fire Service yet to conclude investigations on the cause of the fire.

Source: YEN.com.gh