The associate Executive Director for WACAM, Mrs. Hannah Owusu Koranteng, is questioning government refusal to make available the report on the Apiatse explosion which happened a year ago.
A truck transporting explosives went up in flames after colliding with a motorbike killing 13 and injuring many.
She said government’ s continues holding on the report to its chest after investigation into the explosion has been concluded, raises suspicions of complexity.
For her, the disaster was a national tragedy and of public interest which should compel govnement to make the outcome of investigations into what actually happened available.
In her estimation, the behavior of government in sitting on the report will compel one to wonder if they are liable.
Speaking at the launch of a report put together by WACAM after undertaking a fact finding mission into what happened on January 20, 2022, Mrs. Owusu Koranteng, revealed that the dignity of humans were affected so badly that it reflected in the behavior of livestock .
“For the first time in my life I could see that goats and sheep were looking miserable because it was time for them to be fed but they could not find their owners “, she recalled.
This and many more, she said should be the reasons why government cannot keep hiding the report and not let the public know what it entails.
“ You ask yourself why is government even taking up the responsibility of re- building the Appiatse township when the company that is the source of carrying the explosive is there “, she quizzed.
The launch of the WACAM report which came off over the weekend was to mark one year of the disaster and give analysis of what they found.
Presenting the report however, a member of the Research Team that went to Appiatse, Dr Emmanuel Y. Tenkorang was of the view that the accident could have been avoided.
Explaining this view, he said the security escort which was required under the Minerals and Mining Law 2012 ( L I 2177) was flouted.
This would not have happened, if the entity transporting the explosives had notified a chief inspector of explosives, who under the law would have ensured the provision of a police escort.
“ It was clear from the eye witnesses and news report that there was no police escort “ , he noted although regulation 107(2 of the Minerals and Mining Regulation makes it mandatory .
He therefore among others recommended for the setting up a coordinating unit among the various assemblies that will be responsible for the rapid emergency purposes.
Additionally, he called for a review of the L .I 2177 to include the provision for strict liability to a mining company that fails to adhere to the regulations as well as giving compensation to the affected victims.
The Team concluded that, the weak enforcement in the Mining regulations contributed to the disaster.
