Scores of residents of Awoshie, a suburb of Accra in the Ablekuma South District on Wednesday morning protested against the location of a Gas station in the area, demanding its relocation.
The protesters wore red arm bands and carried placards to register their displeasure after the owners ignored several eviction notices.
The Mambo filling station is situated in the centre of the Odorgonno Senior High and the Odorgonno model basic school.
For the past 20 years, the station has served many residents and beyond. However, residents say their existence close to the school premises poses a risk to them.
“We have had several instances where gas explosion has taken a lot of lives and property. We all know what happened at Wesley Grammar years ago and even the recent June 3 disaster” a parent lamented.
“We cannot wait for another disaster to strike before government sets up a committee to look into the matter. It’s about time they stop operating and move to save our children.”
School authorities claim some pupils of the Odorgonno Basic School have been affected by the continuous exposure to the gas especially during discharge.
“As we speak, 29 of our school children have been affected with the discharge of gas.
Some of them have asthma and others have breathing problems. This is not the first time we are protesting. The Ga Central Municipal Assembly (GCMA) gave an order for them to relocate last year November and even January this year, but they are still there” one protester lamented.
Chairman of the Residents Association, Mr. Kofi Ahenkan in an interview with Citi News said they will do everything in their power to have their grievances addressed.
“We have spoken with the assembly and from here we will have a meeting. We will go to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), the ministry and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to present our petition to see how best we can resolve this. Our children need to be saved and we need to stand up for them.”
Meanwhile, the Manager of the Mambo Gas Filing Station, Samuel France, went into hiding during the protest and refused to comment on the issue when contacted by Citi News.
–
By: Farida Shaibu/citifmonline.com/Ghana