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28.04.2015 Opinion

Fire Victims Lingering Around In Despair At Sakumono With Their Happiness Cut Short. What Is The Way Out?

By John Bosco Darimoah (Marketing Department) Ghana Tourism Authority- Accra
Fire Victims Lingering Around In Despair At Sakumono With Their Happiness Cut Short. What Is The Way Out?
28.04.2015 LISTEN

Some fire outbreak in the country were associated to political under cuttings whiles others were attributed to poor wiring and sub-standards electrical products on the Ghanaians markets. The frequency at which fire outbreaks have taken a centre stage in this country and should not be left alone into the hands of government but all hands on deck.

It is a collective responsible and a duty call to all Ghanaians to fight the problem. Every now and then on the air waves fire has grounded this market, office, store and building down destroying millions of properties and cutting short the joy of people by denying them of their wealth.

Any time when i am remaindered of a fire outbreak, one name comes out before the other and that was the Sakumono Estate fire outbreak that claimed millions and millions of cedes and properties leaving the affected victims wallowing in poverty. One can easily read from the faces of the affected victims that their joy had been short circuited leaving them to their faith and at the mercy benevolent spirits in such a distress call.

It happened at the just recent past fire outbreak that consumed theSakumono flat A12, which houses theCustom Exercise and Prevent Service staff. The fire started at the top floor of the flat and at the blind side of the residence running it down completely as the people stood helpless and throwing theirhands onto the air justhoping for an intervention to come from God as the fire service personnel where nowhere close to the scene.

The fire started somewhere around 1p.m when there was a sudden loud out cryof fire!Fire!That brought everybody out onto the street for fear of been consumed by the fire while the scaring fire gathered momentum to cause more destructions. The fire outbreak threw thewhole community into the state of pandemonium for than two hours before the fire service personnel finally responded to the call from the community members. The general opinions expressed by some onlookers were that their late arrival had not impacted much on the situation. But put the blame at the door steps of the fire service personnel saying that if they had arrived in good time the situation would have taken a difference dimension and brought under control. The statement further added that, their lackadaisical attitude toward distress calls in good time has rendered many homeless.

But this may be subject to critical analysis whether the statement is closer to truth or truth. The facts still remain that some people have been rendered homeless and could have been safe if they had acted swiftly especially when the news went viral on the air waves everywhere coupled up with follow up distress calls trooping in from the community.

We still have to give praises to God that no live wasclaimed except that millions worth of properties had been destroyed and rendered many homeless.

But let me ask these questions. What was the cause of the delay? Was it that they had run out of water, fuel or traffic on the road from theTema port to Sakumono Estate? Only God can answered this question and hang it there.

However,it is quite surprising thatSakumono Estatewhich falls under the Tema municipal assembly administrative jurisdiction that houses many of the government workers including members of parliament have not had a fire station looking at the calibre of buildings there?

This is a warming sign thatSakumomnoneeds a fire station on its own. Supposedly this had happened on a working day when almost everybody is gone to office pause small and imagine the level of destructions and the repercussion that would have occurred.

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