General News of Monday, 9 October 2017
Source: Starrfmonline.com
2017-10-09
Rev. Awotwe Pratt, Presiding Bishop of Methodist Church
The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist church Most Very Reverend Titus Awotwe Pratt says the Environmental Protection Agency and National Petroleum authority should be blamed for the Atomic junction gas explosion.
According to him, the country is wasting resources on the two government agencies but they fail to give the taxpayer value for money.
The Presiding Methodist Bishop who was addressing the induction service of the newly lay president of the church at Adum Wesley Methodist church in Kumasi added that the disaster which claimed 7 lives could have been prevented if the two agencies were effective, and charged the Christian community to ensure check and balance in the operations of EPA and NPA.
“And yet we have well-seasoned men and women well trained, high qualifications and they sit there and these things happen, very sad indeed and when you talk about it they tell you think about church things in the Bible; don’t speak about social things. I pay my tax, i cast my vote during elections, I’m a citizen of this nation by birth not by certificate. I have every right to speak when things are going bad and our people always ask us what is the church saying, these are the things that baffle my mind so those occupying high office in this country are they men and women of high repute?” he wondered.
Seven people lost their lives while trying to escape the explosion with about 40 injured persons currently on admission at the 37 Military Hospital. Two people are battling for their lives at the Intensive Care Unit of the military health facility.
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia who visited the scene Sunday said government will act swiftly to stop such accidents in the country.
“Some new policies are going to come in and those who will try to resist I don’t think they will be listened to because we have to put the lives of our people above anything else. We are going to move quite quickly to do it. We pretty much have an idea what we need to do”.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo is expected to visit the scene today, Monday, October 9.
