Some seven people have so far lost their lives, with 132 others sustaining varied degrees of injury.

Speaking during his tour in the Northern Region on Sunday, Nana Akufo-Addo said one of the main agenda for the meeting is to decide on the way forward for the prevention of such explosions.

[contextly_sidebar id=”QiUkYcnyjj4xZM0CA2cKjxkioMmCcAl4″]“Cabinet will be meeting on Thursday, and I believe that out of that meeting, the country will know what our programme is – the comprehensive programme – that we intend to have to bring such incidents to a stop. The one that happened yesterday [Saturday], is one too many, we cannot afford more of that,” he said.

He also called on the businesses in the fuel sector, to cooperate with government as it seeks to find a way of preventing future fuel station explosions.

“I would like everybody involved in the industry to recognize that we all have to make adjustments to be able to guarantee the safety and the security of our people so that these things do not happen again. I need the support and cooperation of the people of Ghana to make the policies that we will be bringing up succeed so that such incidents become a thing of the past and not of the future,” Akufo-Addo added.

Gas explosions: We won’t tolerate resistance to reforms – Bawumia

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who on Saturday joined President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on a three-day official tour of the Northern Region, was compelled to leave for Accra when the news broke out.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, speaking at the scene of the Saturday night explosion at Atomic Junction in Accra, said a policy is in the offing to deal with the safety concerns once and for all.

He said the government will it put its foot down and turn a deaf ear to arguments against proposed reforms particularly in the sale of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

He has so far visited the site of the explosion, and has visited the 37 Military Hospital to commiserate with the victims.

He has promised that Government will foot the bills of all the injured persons. He however assured the populace that this time round, government will be stricter on safety measures by introducing a new policy in the petroleum retail sector to prevent such disasters.

The explosion occurred at the MANSCO gas station at Atomic Junction near the University of Ghana.

Residents were thrown into a state of pandemonium following the piercing sound of the explosion as well as the giant scary fireball that was formed in the sky.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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The row has worsened tensions between coach Carlos Queiroz and the federation over chaotic preparations for the finals, which start June 12 in Brazil.

The Portugese coach went to a training camp in Africa last month with only 12 players.

With the countdown ticking away to Iran’s first Group F game against Nigeria, Queiroz criticised the German makers of the Iran team strip Uhlsport.

“Before crucial games against Qatar and South Korea, which were played in extreme conditions of humidity, the equipment delivered was not proper,” he told reporters on Sunday, before his team headed to a new World Cup training camp in Austria.

“This could have put Iran out of the World Cup,” he said of the two qualifying games.

Queiroz went on to lambast the federation for failing to provide proper boots or enough clothing.

“If you give shoes sized 34 to somebody that wears size 44 he cannot walk five metres,” said Queiroz, only partly joking about the predicament his players find themselves in.

Iran, playing in the World Cup finals for the fourth time after 1978, 1998 and 2006, face a tough first round group against Argentina, Africa Cup of Nations champions Nigeria and debutants Bosnia.

“If you have one tracksuit per player morning and afternoon it cannot be good,” added Queiroz, former boss of Real Madrid and the Portugese and South African national sides as well as ex-assistant coach at Manchester United.

Several players joined Queiroz in grumbling about the kit.

“They give us large size socks and after two days and being washed they shrink to a small size,” said striker Karim Ansarifard at the press event.

Mohammad Reza Khalatbari, whose former club Sepahan, used Uhlsport equipment of the “best quality”, hinted he believes the Iranian side was being given inferior supplies.

“The gear that we have now, we really don’t know what it is,” said the striker.

“We are really tired of talking about this. I don’t understand why everyone is defending it. When there is something wrong, we should admit that there is a problem.”

Sports Minister Mahmoud Goudarzi downplayed the Iranian team’s equipment problems.

“The minister is not well-informed,” responded Queiroz, whose contract has yet to be renewed.

Iran Football Federation president, Ali Kafashian, also defended the quality of the team kit.

“We expect the coach not to air dirty laundry in public,” he said, describing the row as a distraction that would not help the team.

The distributor of the team kit, Dubai-based Romario Sports, did not comment when contacted by AFP. But the company’s representative in Iran, Mahmoud Piri, denied there was anything wrong with the shirts.

“This is clearly not true,” he said. “An internationally recognised company would not question its own credibility – ahead of the World Cup – by producing poor quality gear.

“Fabric experts would tell you that Polyester-made shirts do not shrink,” he said, adding that Queiroz’s personal dispute with the equipment supplier over money was the cause of the row. This left the Portugese coach visibly upset.

“I gave permission to my lawyer to release all information regarding my personal problem with Romario Sports and these documents prove how these gentlemen behaved with me these last two years,” Queiroz told reporters.

“If I owe them money then I have a problem before God and you,” he said, pointing out that Iran’s June 16 opener against Nigeria is fast approaching.

“For me, everybody who distracts the national team is a Nigerian,” he commented.

Source: AP

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