By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Starr FmStarr FmStarr Fm
  • Home
  • Election Hub
  • General
    GeneralShow More
    Dr. Apaak applauds TEIN-UCC for their efforts in NDC electoral victory
    July 13, 2025
    Take advantage of NDC flagship policies – Dr. Apaak urges TEIN-UCC
    July 13, 2025
    Timber dealer remanded for assaulting farmer with chainsaw in Ofoase Ayirebi
    July 13, 2025
    UK Eases Trade Rules for Africa to Boost Exports and Economic Growth
    July 13, 2025
    GTDC boss outlines commercial vision for tourism development
    July 12, 2025
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    FDA urges MSMEs to prioritise compliance for export and growth
    July 13, 2025
    UK Eases Trade Rules for Africa to Boost Exports and Economic Growth
    July 13, 2025
    Mayekoo doubles donations to African causes with new matching fund campaign 
    July 10, 2025
    Government inaugurates new NIB board, announces plan to recapitalise bank
    July 9, 2025
    Ghana’s gold now powers cedi stability – President Mahama
    July 8, 2025
  • Politics
    PoliticsShow More
    Dr. Apaak applauds TEIN-UCC for their efforts in NDC electoral victory
    July 13, 2025
    Take advantage of NDC flagship policies – Dr. Apaak urges TEIN-UCC
    July 13, 2025
    I don’t lobby for positions – Prof. Kobby Mensah
    July 12, 2025
    Mahama appoints based on competence – Prof. Kobby Mensah
    July 12, 2025
    Politics is not a business venture – GTDC CEO schools party financiers
    July 12, 2025
  • Entertainment
    EntertainmentShow More
    Afro Nation 2025: The global meeting point of love, expression, and African culture
    July 13, 2025
    GTDC CEO slams former leaders over mismanagement and lack of innovation
    July 12, 2025
    Sim Majorley: Korea, Ghana to share cultures through stage production
    July 11, 2025
    I took a pause to gather strength- Kwesi Slay
    July 8, 2025
    Kinaata questions TGMA credibility over ‘Record of the Year’ snub
    July 7, 2025
  • Sports
    SportsShow More
    Tottenham secure Mohammed Kudus in high-profile transfer deal
    July 10, 2025
    Ghana, Nigeria share spoils in thrilling opener of 2025 WAFU U20 Boys Cup
    July 10, 2025
    Otumfuo rallies mining sector to support revamp of Ashanti sports facilities
    July 10, 2025
    Liverpool’s Ambitious Summer: Chairman Predicts Big Moves as Champions Build a Stronger Squad
    July 10, 2025
    Kofi Adams undertakes inspection of Baba Yara Stadium
    July 9, 2025
  • Technology
    TechnologyShow More
    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7: A pocket-sized AI powerhouse with a new edge-to-edge flexwindow
    July 10, 2025
    Real Quantum Dot Technology in Samsung QLED TVs
    June 29, 2025
    GCAA and South Korea sign deal to advance Ghana’s Drone sector
    June 25, 2025
    Onafriq, PAPSS partner to launch cross-border payment services in Ghana 
    June 20, 2025
    Yellow Card, Visa partner to accelerate stablecoin adoption across emerging economies
    June 19, 2025
  • International
    InternationalShow More
    47th AU Forum: Ablakwa criticizes $1.2m AfCFTA allocation as ‘highly insufficient’
    July 10, 2025
    Minority demands audit over $1.2m passport relaunch cost and delays
    July 9, 2025
    Minority demands compensation for citizens stranded by US embassy closure
    July 9, 2025
    Foreign Minister Okudzeto Ablakwa and Chinese Ambassador Tong Defa sign $30 million grant agreement for Aflao market
    Ghana secures $30 million Chinese grant for Aflao market project
    July 9, 2025
    The end of USAID is not catastrophic for Africa – Dr. Brian Reuben
    July 8, 2025
  • Factometer
Search
© 2024 EIB Network Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Stop lying – Groupe Nduom tells GNFS PRO
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Starr FmStarr Fm
Font ResizerAa
  • Headlines
  • Election Hub
  • General
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Factometer
Search
  • Headlines
  • Election Hub
  • General
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Factometer
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 EIB Network Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
BusinessEditors PickHeadlines

Stop lying – Groupe Nduom tells GNFS PRO

Starrfm.com.gh By Starrfm.com.gh Published April 26, 2017
Share
SHARE

Groupe Nduom has accused the deputy spokesperson of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) Prince Billy Anaglate of resorting to “propaganda” to cover up their “unprofessional handling of the fire” which occurred at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel Saturday.

Fire destroyed properties at GN Bank, Gold Coast Securities and the studios of Amansan TV, all located on the compound of the hotel over the weekend. It took the fire service over three hours to arrest the inferno.

Groupe Nduom believes the firefighting outfit failed to act professionally in dealing with the situation, however, the mouthpiece of the GNFS says the firm in the first place did not comply with fire safety measures such as installing smoke detectors among others.

“He should not test our resolve on the issue; we have lost millions of Ghana Cedis as a result of last Saturday’s fire. We do not need the state organization whose job is to assist those facing fire accidents to rather put pepper in our wounds. There is no doubt that we lost a lot through the unprofessional handling of the fire by the GFS and we were silently albeit painfully counting our losses. But we cannot allow our reputation to be dragged in the mud by someone who obviously has not taken time to get his facts straight,” management said in a statement.

Below is the full statement:

The Ghana Fire Service Can Do Better Than This!

Groupe Nduom has been very measured in our public comments on last Saturday’s fire that swept through a section of Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra. As a responsible corporate entity with international standing, Groupe Nduom believes that rather than taking the Ghana Fire Service (GFS) to task for shortcomings demonstrated, we should support efforts aimed at determining how to resource the GFS better to achieve optimum results.

Groupe Nduom is however compelled to react to some negative comments made by Prince Billy Anaglate, the Deputy PRO of the Ghana National Fire Service. Mr. Anaglate has in media interviews blamed our company for not putting in place basic fire prevention measures at the affected Groupe companies.

For example, he told Citi FM, an Accra based Radio station that Groupe Nduom had not put anything in place to protect the company in terms of fire safety. Groupe Nduom does not only find Mr Anaglate’s assertion unfortunate but pedestrian and reckless. We do not know who he is trying to protect with his blame game. A PRO’s job cannot be to peddle lies and paint others in a negative light.

He should not test our resolve on the issue; we have lost millions of Ghana Cedis as a result of last Saturday’s fire. We do not need the state organization whose job is to assist those facing fire accidents to rather put pepper in our wounds. There is no doubt that we lost a lot through the unprofessional handling of the fire by the GFS and we were silently albeit painfully counting our losses. But we cannot allow our reputation to be dragged in the mud by someone who obviously has not taken time to get his facts straight.

We realized through our ordeal that the GFS faces obvious logistical problems. This, we believe should form the basis of a broader discourse with the view of avoiding similar fire situations in the future. In effect, we the most affected entity have tried to avoid any form of emotional and parochial discussion of the issue.

But for Mr. Anaglate to suggest that our offices at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel did not have fire detectors and extinguishers at the time of the incident is something we cannot allow to pass without correction. We emphasise that every facility at the Coconut Grove Regency compound has fire detectors and extinguishers. Ironically, we bought these equipment from the Ghana Fire Service itself and we have receipts to that effect.

Coconut Grove Regency Hotel has a standing relationship with the Ghana Fire Service where they (Fire Service) take our staff through periodic fire fighting measures. We want to tell Mr. Anaglate that we have a GFS certificate commending us for taking up the GFS orientations. Amansan Television (ATV), one of our offices that was gutted by the fire last Saturday has a special fire segment on its ‘Anopa Bosuo’ morning show programme that he appears on to educate people on Fire Safety measures. So what is he talking about?

Perhaps we should not be surprised at the latest spin by Mr. Anaglate. This is a man who has since day one of the incident sought alibi in many lame and ungrounded lies. First he said the Fire Service got hint of the fire incident through a commercial taxi driver when in fact the distress call to the office of the Fire Service was made by a staff of Groupe Nduom Corporate Affairs.

After falling flat to that obvious lie, he tried albeit unsuccessful to impugn that they got to the fire site just three minutes after report by the so-called faceless taxi driver. The truth however has emerged that the Fire Service personnel got to the scene well over twenty minutes after getting the distressed call from our employee.

He has also wrongfully suggested that the generator at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel was running and that resulted in the widespread of the blazing fire. Indeed the generator at the hotel was immediately put off when the fire started.

In any case, if the Fire personnel were up to the task, why didn’t they put off the fire when it started as something small at only one of the 12 offices that the fire finally destroyed?

Unfortunately for him, many Ghanaians watched the blazing fire live as they went round their work rather amateurishly. We have many videos that show how it took almost two hours for the fire to spread while GFS people watched and did nothing to help.

We still insist that the Ghana Fire Service needs help. Some weeks ago at Teshie-Nungua in the Greater Accra Region, some four Fire Service personnel got injured in a fire combating operation. They were made to take a loan of GHC1000.00 to cater for their hospital expenses. Where is the motivation for anyone to offer his all in any fire fighting mission?

Again we want to point out that 20 officers of their National Headquarters share seven (7) fire fighting uniforms in operations similar to what was experienced at the Coconut Grove Hotel. Also, during their abortive fire combat at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel, fire fighters had only four oxygen masks which got finished within a matter of 20 minutes. As a result, the officers could not enter the building to put out the fire. How can we expect personnel of the Service to offer their best in any fire fighting situation? The GFS needs help and their PRO will do the service well by focusing on this rather than seeking to blame victims of their inadequacies.

We suggest that Mr. Anaglate should learn the art of Public Relations better rather than resorting to propaganda that in the end only exposes the weaknesses of his employer.

Richmond Duke Keelson

Groupe Nduom Corporate Affairs

You Might Also Like

FDA urges MSMEs to prioritise compliance for export and growth

Dr. Apaak applauds TEIN-UCC for their efforts in NDC electoral victory

Take advantage of NDC flagship policies – Dr. Apaak urges TEIN-UCC

Timber dealer remanded for assaulting farmer with chainsaw in Ofoase Ayirebi

UK Eases Trade Rules for Africa to Boost Exports and Economic Growth

TAGGED:FIREGN Bank
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print
Share
Previous Article China launches aircraft carrier, boosting military presence
Next Article UE/R: Soldiers deployed as NPP men vandalise MP’s residence

Starr 103.5FM

Starr FmStarr Fm
Follow US
© 2024 EIB Network Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
newsletter icon
Join Us!

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest in news, podcasts etc..

[mc4wp_form]
Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
adbanner
AdBlock Detected
Our site is an advertising supported site. Please whitelist to support our site.
Okay, I'll Whitelist
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?