Samuel Abu Jinapor (Left) and Ambrose Dery (Right)
Tamale North lawmaker, Alhassan Suhuyni is urging the Business Committee of Parliament to invite Ambrose Dery and Samuel Abu Jinapor, Ministers of Interior and Lands and Natural Resources respectively, to brief the house on the explosion that occurred at Appiatse near Bogoso in the Western Region leading to the loss of lives and destruction of properties.
According to him, it is important for these Ministers to explain to the House the measures that have been put in place to prevent the recurrence of such disaster and also how the affected victims are being catered for.
“The pictures and the videos we see on our screens are heartbreaking and if the Minister of Lands and Natural resources with oversight on mining, the Minister for Interior and that for the environment are not prepared already to brief the House, I will urge the Business Committee to schedule them to take this as a public interest matter that the people of Ghana deserve to be briefed on, and for us to be assured of the steps that are being taken to ameliorate the suffering of the people in Bogoso,” Suhuyini said on the floor of the House on Tuesday, January 25.
Following the explosion, the Police said its preliminary investigation established that a mining explosive vehicle moving from Tarkwa to Chirano mines collided with a motorcycle resulting in the explosion.
“Reference to our earlier emergency public notice, the Police have taken charge of the situation providing security to enable the emergency workers including the Ghana National Fire Service, NADMO, and the Ambulance Service to manage the situation.
“The public has been advised to move out of the area to nearby towns for their safety while recovery efforts are underway. An appeal is also being made to nearby towns to open up their classrooms, churches, etc to accommodate surviving victims.
“Meanwhile, a preliminary investigation has established that a mining explosive vehicle moving from Tarkwa to Chirano mines collided with a motorcycle resulting in the explosion. Most of the victims have been rescued and are on admission at various hospitals and clinics within the Bogoso Municipality.
“Reinforcement of resources and personnel have been deployed to effectively handle the incident. We continue to urge the public to remain calm as we manage the situation. Further updates regarding the emergency evacuation of the injured will be communicated in due course,” a statement said.
The Police had assured that it was managing the situation.
An earlier statement by the Police on Thursday, January 20 said “Emergency Public Notice! A huge explosion occurred this afternoon, Thursday, January 20, 2022, at Apiate between Bogoso and Bawdie in the Western Region.
“The Police and other emergency service providers have activated a full emergency recovery exercise. We urge all to remain calm as we manage this unfortunate situation.”