General News of Tuesday, 10 October 2017
Source: citifmonline.com
2017-10-10
Students on Monday demonstrated at UPSA to demand the removal of the SEL fuel station
The University of Professional Students, Accra (UPSA), may consider a court action over the siting of a SEL fuel station behind its premises.
The legal officer of the School, Fortunate Fio, has said they will resort to a legal action if the management of the fuel station fails to provide documents to prove their claims that their operation was approved by all stakeholders including the school’s authorities.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, he said the school is determined to protect its interest and the lives of thousands of students who feel threatened by the operations of the fuel station right behind the campus, especially after last Saturday’s gas explosion incident at Atomic Junction near Madina in Accra.
The school several months ago raised questions over the siting of the fuel station, while the facility was still under construction.
They argued that the fuel station, in the event of an explosion will claim the lives of many students and staff that have hitherto taught and studied in a safe environment.
Mr. Fio said, “our lawyers requested for the minutes of the report that they claim they have submitted to the state agencies [Environmental Protection Agency and National Petroleum Authority], and the signatories that they claim attended that meeting. Up to today, they have not provided us with this report or the signatories. How can they conclude that we [UPSA] are satisfied and closure has been brought to the matter.”
“We have the right to proceed to court to vindicate our right once we are making demands for the documents and they are not coming. The students are entitled to do whatever they are doing, and they have the right to do that….We as an institution will not sit down to see any death on campus before any action will be taken by the state.”
In the meantime, he noted that, the students will petition the president, Nana Akufo-Addo over the matter, and invite him to intervene to prevent what appears to be a looming crisis.
“The students will petition His Excellency [President Akufo-Addo] to ensure that the right things are done,” Mr. Fio said.
UPSA students demonstrate against ‘dangerous’ fuel station
Scores of students of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), on Monday staged a demonstration on campus against the siting of a fuel station close to the school.
The students, who have been protesting the siting of the fuel station since January 2017, claiming that it poses a threat to their lives following the gas explosion that occurred at Atomic Junction last Saturday, killing 7 and injuring 132 others.
