Last year, in December, I wrote a brief article suggesting that one angle that has not been sufficiently explored in the raging controversy over the sudden surge in fire incidents in recent times is the fearsome issue of counterfeit electrical goods. The article is still accessible in full on this website: http://allafrica.com/stories/200912170972.html.

I am intrigued that this is increasingly a matter receiving greater attention in many African countries, even as we in Ghana continue to ignore its relevance to our quest to get to the bottom of the "out of control" spate of high profile fire incidents. One testimony goes thus: "In 2004, counterfeit circuit breakers were blamed for causing, or rather not preventing, major fires in Cairo. When it comes to counterfeit electrical equipment..." [1]

I will urge you to review accounts of the "counterfeit electrical goods" trend from other places on the continent, and, if you feel that the matter deserves more attention in Ghana, to help in spreading the word. Perhaps our remote and distant authorities may eventually take heed, and act quickly to check this alarming fire storm before it degenerates into something even nastier.

Links to sample accounts:

[1] http://www.notofakes.com/Resources/TravelAdvisory/Africa/Egypt/tabid/495/Default.aspx

http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/news.asp?about=UNBS+seizes+counterfeit+products+in+Kampala+&ID=13880

www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=35201

http://esfi.org/node/565

http://www.nema.org/gov/anti-counterfeiting/news.cfm

www.bizcommunity.com/Article/410/87/44951.html

http://www.counterfeit-kills.co.uk/uk/index.php?page=cfmainnews&newsid=46&p=8&cfid=9362