Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
THE MINISTER for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has expressed grave concern over the lack of safety standards on public work construction sites in various parts of the country.
As a ministry responsible for public works, the minister expressed worry over safety issues at public work construction sites where contractors do not supply the required safety gears to their workers while consultants look on with blatant disregard.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah expressed these concerns during a visit to some public construction sites in the Eastern Region on Tuesday to inspect progress of work and more importantly, compliance to safety standards.
Some of the areas visited include Kyebi Bronikrom, where drainage works are currently ongoing; the Kyebi Council Area, where the construction of a modern community market centre is ongoing; and the construction site of the Eastern Regional Fire Service Academy, among others.
At all the sites visited, the minister stressed greatly on safety and the need for compliance by workers; and charged site supervisors to ensure that workers are fully robed in the appropriate safety gear to ensure their safety and that of others working with them.
Where necessary, he charged the site supervisors to stop workers who report to work in inappropriate safety gear.
To this end, the Ministry’s Works Directorate has been tasked to embark on routine visits to these construction sites to ensure safety measures.
In an interaction with journalists after the inspection, the minister lamented that on-site workers were “not respecting the health and safety standards” despite “a lot of caution from the assemblies, consultants, etc.”
“And so they (the authorities) are going to get a bit tougher on all of these contractors on site. We are supposed to comply with the health and safety standards moving forward, and so you should be expecting to see the Works Directorate Unit at many of these construction sites, and where necessary, getting the consultants to stop contractors who are not complying from continuing because if they don’t comply, we could all be at risk,” he stated.
Remarks
At the Fire Service Training School where the team ended the inspection, the minister disclosed that the facility, by its design, can accommodate a little close to 140 people at a time for various courses related to this particular agency and the sector.
“We commend the leadership and the contractors for the progress of work. They inform us that sooner than later, I think maybe in the next one or two months, they should be bringing their work to a conclusion and we look forward to coming to join them to commission it,” he said.
He also added that his outfit would be visiting project sites as there are a lot of projects that are ongoing all over the country.
“It’s important that we, who are seized with leadership, visit these sites and ensure that the consultants and contractors are delivering according to time and specification and where they have challenges, see those challenges for ourselves and help resolve them,” the minister added.
Courtesy Call
Prior to the commencement of the inspection, the minister and his team paid a courtesy call on the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, overlord of the Akyem Abuakwa State, where he congratulated the monarch on the launch of his 25th anniversary on the throne.
The minister also besought the king for his continued guidance, directions and counseling, especially on his appointment as the Minister for Works and Housing.
BY Nii Adjei Mensahfio