Simon Osei-Mensah, Osei Assibey Antwi (Kumasi Mayor) and the other officials inspecting Manbah Gas station
Manbah Gas station at Kaase, near the Kumasi Abattoir in the Ashanti Regional, has been ordered to close down as a result of poor safety measures and illegal operation.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, who gave the order during a working visit to some selected gas stations in Kumasi, said Manbah had not been granted any permit to operate a gas station.
Inspection of gas filling stations and their decommissioning order began following an explosion at a station in the nation’s capital, Accra, in which seven people died and 132 others injured.
The Ashanti Regional Minister was accompanied by officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Ghana National Fire Service and Town and Country Planning.
The inspection exercise also took him and his entourage to Puma filling station at Asuoyeboah, Kan Royal Gas station at Abuakwa-Tanoso and the Next Bon Gas station at Anloga Junction.
Mr. Osei-Mensah stated that poor safety measures and leakage of gas at the station meant that Manbah Gas filling station’s operation was dangerous, aside its proximity to traders working with naked fire.
Management of the station were told in plain language to discontinue operation soon after the current stock had been depleted, and that the regional minister and his team would follow up to see to its full compliance by management of the company.
This was after the inability of the gas station’s officials to produce environmental permit, fire certificates and other documentations to prove the legality of the business.
Mr. Osei-Mensah asserted that it was revealed that some of the gas stations did not have the needed documents to run their operations and that management had been asked to produce them or be made to close down their stations.
It was observed during the inspection exercise that some of the gas stations had only one exit and entry point, while others share the same premises with fuel filling stations.
At the Asuoyeboah branch of the Puma fuel station, a gas filling station was also seen at the venue, sharing the same premises – a development which was described as worrisome by the minister and his entourage.
A similar development was also at Kan Royal at Tanoso, where a fuel filling station operates alongside a gas station.
The regional minister again described as problematic another gas filling station situated at Bantama, behind the Centre for National Culture, in Kumasi.
“It is in a densely populated area where several activities go on. They partially satisfy some of the regulations, but not all of them. We can’t allow this to blow up in our face, especially when they don’t have building permit,” Mr. Osei-Mensah indicated.
He stressed, “Until all the safety measures are in place, we won’t allow those falling short of requirement and standards to operate.”
The Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Assistant Director of Fire Desmond Ackah, disclosed that none of the visited gas stations had in place an installed fire hydrant.
He whoever, noted that some of the stations had made provision for an alternative water supply but with their installed capacity far below the required 90,000 metres.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi