Government Sets Up Committee To Investigate Fire Disaster That Killed Over 200 Ghanaians

One committee out, another committee in. In Ghana it seems like our magic wand to solving any issue is to set up a commission.

The June 3rd floods and the subsequent fire explosion led to massive loss of life amongst Ghanaians, and the clamour for real change in the aftermath has been real.

Government have made some half hearted moves, demolishing structures and the like, but nothing pointing towards real change. And in that vein they have set up a commission to investigate the fire.

According to GraphicOnline:

“A five-member committee has been inaugurated to investigate the June 3, 2015, fire disaster that claimed the lives of 76 people, at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Goil Filling Station in Accra.

Chaired by a Retired Appeals Court Judge, Mr Justice Isaac Douse, the committee has been tasked to also assess the cost of damage by the fire and submit recommendations on how to prevent future occurrences.

The committee is expected to submit its report to the Minister of the Interior, Mr Mark Woyongo, on June 30, this year.

Members of the committee were selected from the Ministry of Defence, the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service.

A hydrologist Consultant, Mr Wise Ametepe, has also been appointed to assist the committee as an advisor”

I struggle to see what would come out of the two weeks work of this commission. The solutions to solving this perennial flooding are clear cut, and the sooner we got to work on them the earlier we save lives when the next flood hits us.