The Accra Mayor laying wreath at the memorial service: INSET: Samuel Atta Akyea
GOVERNMENT HAS lauded waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited and its subsidiary, Dredge Masters for their prompt response in keeping the sanitation situation in Accra under control immediately after the June 3rd twin fire-flood disaster.
Speaking at a memorial church service on Saturday, June 3rd this year, at the Calvary Baptist Church in Adabraka, a suburb of Accra, in remembrance of victims of the June 3 flood and fire disaster that killed about 200 persons at the Nkrumah Interchange in Accra, the Minister of Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Kyea indicated that the response from Zoomlion and its subsidiary at the time was very impressive.
He said the two entities needed to be commended for the quick response in helping to save lives.
He specified, “I must say that but for the humane attitude of a company called Dredge Masters, an affiliate of Zoomlion, the situation could have been worse.”
Mr. Atta Akyea explained that “Dredge Masters was working day-in-day-out because of the human dimension to the company. You know companies are very commercial in their orientation. Without money, they won’t work. Sitting on my desk are various bills that we need to pay them.”
According to him “We have this disease that a contractor can be owed six years after completion of work and expect that the contractor will be impoverished and the rest of it. But a Ghanaian company called Dredge Masters… they have not been paid off but nevertheless, they are still working because some catastrophes are more serious than posting dividends and profits.”
He added that “so, please when we are acknowledging those who have played a major role in this issue, we should remember Dredge Masters and Zoomlion.”
Immediately after the tragic incident that fateful Wednesday night, Dredge Masters began desilting the Korle Lagoon which is believed to be the major cause of the flooding situation in some parts of the capital and the company has since remained at work.
Zoomlion on its own has stepped its cleanup exercises, partnering and supporting numerous private and public organizations to promote good sanitation in the city.
Memorial Service
In attendance were families of the deceased and surviving victims many of whom could easily be identified by the burnt scars on their bodies. Government officials from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies were also present.
Prayers were said for the spirit of the departed souls as their names were mentioned one after the other. The surviving victims were also committed into the hands of God as they continue to battle with life after the horrible incident coined by many Ghanaians as “Black Wednesday”.
Mr. Atta Akyea, who spoke on behalf of government at the ceremony, expressed the belief that never again would that incident happen to Ghana.
However, he said that could only be possible if the citizenry change their attitude towards the environment by putting an end to the habit of littering around, especially, in drainage facilities.
The Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, on his part paid glowing tribute to the spirit of the departed souls and wished the surviving victims well in all their endeavors.
He used the opportunity to remind residents in Accra about the President’s vision of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa by end of his tenure in office and therefore noted that the Assembly will not renege on this promise.
“We have decided that the National Sanitation Day will be an enforcement of our bye laws to check all city dwellers who decide to make the environment filthy,” he said.
About the Disaster
In the middle of a heavy flooding and rainstorm mid-night Wednesday, June 3 2015, an explosion at Kwame Nkrumah Circle Branch of the GOIL filling station in the capital Accra, reportedly killed at least 200 people that plunged the whole nation into an official three-day national mourning.
The streets of the capital from the accident scene were littered with bodies while some were found in drains taking authorities weeks to clear the remnants of the disaster.
The morgues were congested with bodies and hospital authorities were overwhelmed with casualties from Ghana’s worst ever disaster that occurred on June 3.
BY Melvin Tarlue