The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, has ordered the closure of a gas station located on the premises of the Kumasi Abattoir.
The Manbah Gas Station, according to the Minister, is sited too close to the Abattoir which uses fire constantly in undertaking their activities.
[contextly_sidebar id=”EfUKqq7aVgz7EDmpb5Yj9O7MW2C9dGds”]He noted that, the gas station also had no certification from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to operate.
The Minister has also directed other gas stations to halt their operations for further investigations.
Simon Osei Mensah together with officials from EPA, NPA, and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), inspected 13 gas stations within the Kumasi Metropolis to assess their safety standards.
The Regional EPA Director, Samuel Oteng said some of the gas stations will be taken through thorough safety audititing.
He tasked station managers to tighten their safety measures to prevent explosions.
The Ashanti Regional Public Relations officer of Ghana National Fire Service, Desmond Ackah, expressed worry about how most gas stations within the metropolis had no fire hydrants at their premises.
These actions and inspections have become necessary, following the Atomic Junction explosion that killed 7 people and injured eight (8) over 100 others.
As a result, government after a crucial cabinet meeting, ordered that all high-risk fuel stations be closed down to allow for a proper safety audit.
The President, Nana Akufo-Addo, also ordered the cessation of all facilities being constructed to serve as fuel stations across the country to allow authorities carry out the needed safety audit.
The President also ordered that the cylinder re-circulation policy be implemented within a year, a decision that has angered LPG Markers who closed down their facilities for less than a week in protest against the measures which they consider knee-jerk and a threat to their investments.
As part of the cylinder re-circulation policy, consumers will buy cylinder bottles already filled with gas, and will not need to refill themselves at designated stations.
21 LPG stations shut down, more to follow – NPA
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has said it was already taking serious action against some fuel stations, before the new directives from President Nana Akufo-Addo, as it had already shut down 21 Liquefied Petroleum Gas filling stations across the country for failing safety standards.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, the Chief Executive Officer of NPA, Hassan Tampuli, said they hope to sustain the momentum in ensuring safety regulations are adhered to.
Construction of fuel stations ongoing despite President’s order
Construction works are ongoing at some of petrol stations in the Ashanti Region, despite a presidential fiat ordering the temporary cessation of the construction of facilities intended for use as gas or petrol/diesel retail outlets.
Citi News sighted construction work vigorously ongoing at a Unity Oil filling station, located at Krofrom, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
The supervisors said they were not aware of any directive to stop work, and its management maintained that all requirements for the construction had been met.
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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana