People must pay for their negligence – Minister

daniel russell

June 8, 2015 3:49 PM

He has indicated that whoever granted people permit to build on water ways and site fuel stations at wrong places must be sacked.

A deputy Communications Minister, Ato Sarpong has said that anyone whose negligence led to the death of about 200 people in the June 3 flood and inferno disasters in Accra must be made to pay dearly for it.

Speaking on the Ultimate Breakfast Monday, Mr. Sarpong stated that in other jurisdictions, those whose actions or inactions caused such a disaster would resign honourably. He has indicated that whoever granted people permit to build on water ways and site fuel stations at wrong places must be sacked.“From what’s been happening, someone probably is not doing what the person is expected to do and we need to analyse that. As regards the floods and people given permit to build in water ways, filling stations being sited in areas that they are not supposed to and all of that, that one definitely, someone must be made to pay for that.“And until we make people pay for their negligence, people are being given responsibility, paid with the taxpayer’s money, with the expectation that they protect all of us. If people in any way fail in their duty of protection, I believe sincerely that person must pay for it. In other areas, they even resign, when they see they have not performed,” he said.

Ghana was submerged in flood following torrential and consistent rainfall especially in the capital city, Accra. Over 200 people were reported dead while properties running into millions of cedis destroyed by the torrential rains that fell for over three hours.

Some people who had gathered in front of a Pharmacy Shop at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle near the Goil Filling Station adjacent to the GBC Towers to seek for refuge from the heavy downpour lost their lives following a fire outbreak at the Goil filling station.

daniel russell