Minister of Energy Boakye Agyarko has disclosed that government has given the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) the necessary clearance to hire 200 auditors to make sure that safety standards are complied with at all gas stations across the country.
His disclosure comes after seven people died in Saturday’s gas explosion at Atomic junction on the Madina-Adenta road.
One hundred and thirty-two persons are injured out of which 64 have been treated and discharged, the Information Minister Mustapha Hamid said in a statement Sunday.
The statement said 68 injured persons including a fire officer at the Police Hospital are still receiving treatment with two others in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of the 37 Military Hospital.
It took about 10 hours for the Ghana National Fire Service to bring the situation under total control.
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia who visited the scene Sunday said government will act swiftly to stop such accidents in the country.
Speaking on the development after inaugurating the governing board of the Ghana Gas, Mr Agyarko stated that incidents of gas explosions are one too many in the country.
The Ministry, he said, for the past six months had been working on a new policy document to be approved by cabinet to become the operating principle.
“We have extensively engaged stakeholders in the operations of that new policy. I must admit that we have received some resistance from some vested interest who see this as impacting negatively on their businesses,” he told journalists on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony.
“But at the end of the day, what we ought to consider as a nation is the safety of our citizens over primary pecuniary interest. So it is that we will bring to the fore and make sure that the standard of care and safety around the handling of gas conforms to best international practice,” he added.
“Thus the NPA which is the regulator will be allowed to hire 200 auditors who will go from station to station to make sure that safety standards are complied with,” he stressed.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
