Three workers of the distressed Takoradi-based West African Mills Company (WAMCO), a cocoa processing firm, were reported dead in a ghastly accident that occurred at Komenda Sefwi, near Beposo on the Cape Coast-Takoradi highway.
The accident occurred when a military ambulance with registration number 42GA57, from Accra and heading towards Takoradi, reportedly collided with a Mercedes Sprinter bus with registration number ER 1219-14.
The bodies of the deceased, who were all males, have since been deposited at the Central Regional Teaching Hospital for autopsy.
Two of them died when they were being taken to the hospital while the other one died at the same health facility.
The three were among a team of 22 workers of the company who were travelling from Takoradi to Parliament House in Accra when the accident happened. They had been at home for the past 28 months due to the closure of the factory.
The workers were moving to the august House to purportedly listen to the reasons why WAMCO had not been revived as the MP for Takoradi, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah had booked the Finance Minister, Seth Tekper, for questioning on the WAMCO matter yesterday.
They were also to follow up on their petition to the government about their plight in the company and whether or not assets of WAMCO were being sold as had been speculated.
Meanwhile, Seth Tekper could not even show up in parliament yesterday to answer questions on WAMCO.
Eyewitnesses account had it that the accident happened at about 3:30 am Thursday.
The Central Regional police command reportedly dispatched men to the accident scene when it was informed.
“Our information was that some of the victims were in critical condition and we are now making follow-ups to the respective hospitals to visit those who got injured,” the personnel indicated.
It would be recalled that the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) recently called on the government to intervene and resolve the salary and other issues of WAMCO.
They asserted that the operations of COCOBOD and WAMCO under the watch of Dr. Opuni (CEO of COCOBOD) had come to a halt, with some workers of WAMCO not being paid for close to 28 months.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Cocoa Board has issued a caveat on the alleged sale of assets of WAMCO.
A statement issued by the Public Affairs Department of COCOBOD informed the general public to ignore a purported attempt to sell the assets of WAMCO advertised by a certain Fidelity Securities Limited (FSL) without the Board’s knowledge, consent and approval.
The statement warned that consequently, any person or institution that enters into such a deal would be doing so at its own risk.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi & Sarah Afful, Komenda Sefwi