The drowning of some three children in a water-filled pit in a suburb of Accra is a painful development because it was avoidable. The children should not have died but they did because somebody on government payroll just did not live up to his or her responsibility of making the environment safe especially, for children.
It shows just how much some persons holding responsible positions can shirk their duties.
We can only imagine the mental torture their parents especially, the mothers are enduring at this time.
Following the melancholic incident, residents of the area where the tragedy struck, one of them the chief of the area, narrated how on several occasions the issue of the danger posed by the pit was brought to the notice of the authorities and in this case, the Ga South Municipal Assembly, and no action was taken.
As pointed out by the chief of the area, the welfare of the residents is not a priority of the assembly, an expression which underscores his disappointment with those who slept on their assignments.
Now a woman has lost a set of twins, and another, a son, all because in the nation’s capital, somebody did not care about what could happen to lives as a result of an open pit.
A discussion of the subject would not be complete without reference to the dangerous practices by sand winners. Many engaged in this business do so without consideration of the environmental impact. Existing bylaws to ensure that the environment is not impacted negatively and lives endangered, are breached with impunity because there is no effective enforcement.
Now that an avoidable tragedy has struck, the subject will be on the front burner albeit briefly. After a few days, it is business as usual.
Assemblies and other authorities which are empowered by law to enforce the germane bylaws do not appear to be on top of their job, hence the breaches.
To state that the authorities at the Ga South Municipal Assembly do not have questions to answer in relation to the tragedy is to avoid reality.
We are demanding the establishment of a panel of enquiry to investigate the circumstances which led to the sand winners leaving behind a pit of death. The terms of reference for the panel should also include whether or not there was an instance of negligence on the part of the Ga South Municipal Assembly. Did the residents and chief of the area express concern to the assembly about the dangerous pit?
This issue should not be swept under the carpet. We are standing by.