The Chief of Bepoh, near Apiate, in the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region has brought an interesting twist in the investigation into the massive explosion that occurred in the town a week ago.
Additionally, the Municipal Education Directorate has disputed the claim by the Ghana Police Service that the driver of the vehicle carrying the incendiaries run to a nearby school to ask the teachers to send the pupils to a safer location because the vehicle was going to explode.
According Nana Atta Kojo Bremebi, the vehicle carrying incendiaries did not have police escort.
This startling revelation is contrary to an earlier preliminary police report which indicated that the explosive truck had an escort.
“I am ready to go all length to challenge anyone who claims there was a police escort when the truck was transporting the explosives,” the chief who said Apiate comes under his jurisdiction said.
Official Visit
The chief made the revelation when the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapour and the Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye visited the area again to assess the extent of damage and also explain to the chiefs and people the effort that the government is making to rebuild the community.
The chief called for a thorough investigation into the incident to ascertain what actually led to the huge explosion.
“If they say there was police escort, where was the police man sitting? Was he sitting in the truck carrying the explosives or was he the one leading the truck. I am saying there was no escort and those standing here know that what I’m saying is the truth.”
The chief said “if anyone wants to challenge what I am saying, he should come forward for us to question that person.”
He then thanked the government and other organisations for the massive support so far given to the affected people and was also grateful to the Municipal Chief Executive for spearheading the opening of an account to receive all financial support.
Education Directorate
The Prestea-Huni Valley Municipal Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mary Vida Kwofie also disputed the claim by the police that the driver supposedly acted to prevent a nearby school from the disaster.
She said on Connect FM in Takoradi yesterday that there is no school building near the location of the explosion in Apiate.
“There is no school there. The building that is being misconstrued as a school building with children used to be a training centre for the mining company, former Golden Star Resources (now Future Global Resources).”
“They gave it to the community when they left. So the community decided to use it for a KG. But the parents could not pay the community teachers.
Currently, the chiefs and people have approached the education directorate that GES absorbs it as a school into the public sector. The process is currently ongoing,” she explained.
Ms. Kwofie insisted that “it is not the case that there was a school there with children at the time the incident happened.”
She said, “I don’t know where the driver went to pick the children from the school building. But all I can say is that there is no school at Apiate.”
Rider Speaks
Already, the motor tricycle rider who has been widely regarded as having caused the massive explosion at Apiate has denied ever crossing the vehicle that was carrying the explosives.
According to the rider identified as Philip Mensah, he was nowhere near the scene during the accident on Thursday, January 20 when the vehicle exploded.
The rider said he was admitted at Aseda Hospital in Bogoso after his bike was hit by another vehicle from behind and had to be rushed for treatment before the explosion occurred.
“My motor collided with the said truck, neither was I at the scene during the explosion,” he reportedly said as captured by the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
“I don’t know where that story is coming from because I was not at the scene. I did not see any truck around me when the accident occurred. I was in the tricycle with one woman and the two of us were carried to the health facility.”
“The people that conveyed us to the hospital later informed me that it was a sprinter bus that hit my tricycle and that the driver ran away after the accident,” he insisted.
Initial Reports
A truck carrying explosives to a gold mine, reportedly driven by one Alfred Pappoe, was said to have collided with a motorcycle at Apiate, sparking a huge blast which flattened almost all buildings in the small town on January 20 afternoon.
The heavy duty vehicle carrying the explosives reportedly belonged to a mining services provider called Maxam, which was moving from Tarkwa to Chirano Mines in the Western North Region.
In the end, 14 residents were reported to have died in the massive explosion and apart from the unfortunate deaths, there were widespread destruction of property and close to 100 residents suffered injuries.
More Action
It later emerged that Maxam Limited had allegedly sub-contracted Jocyderk Logistics Limited, a company registered by the Minerals Commission, to undertake the clearing of the explosives.
On the instructions of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission suspended Jocyderk Logistics Limited pending the outcome of the investigations.
“Preliminary investigations show that Maxam Ghana Limited sub-contracted Jocyderk Logistics Limited, a company registered by the Minerals Commission to undertake clearing, warehousing and transportation of explosives, to transport the said explosives on behalf of Maxam Ghana Limited,” the ministry had said.
Official Action
The services company, Maxam Limited, has already been suspended on the instructions of the government through Mr. Abu Jinapor.
Pursuant to regulation 2 of the Minerals and Mining (Explosives) Regulation, 2012 (L.I. 2177), the Lands and Natural Resources Minister also directed the Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission to interdict the Chief Inspector of Mines who is responsible for the supervision of the manufacture, storage, transportation and use of explosives for mining and mine support services, over the deadly incident.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi