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25.05.2015 Feature Article

I WILL TELL THE BIG SIX – Let’s Regulate Acid Use, Purchase And Distribution

I WILL TELL THE BIG SIX – Lets Regulate Acid Use, Purchase And Distribution
25.05.2015 LISTEN

I hope you are doing great wherever you are right now? A lot of things have gone on over the past week in SIKAMAN, most notably an acid attack on the Upper East regional Chairman of the NPP which eventually led to his death.

Ghanaians were going on with their daily business as usual trying to make ends meet after a very successful DUMSOR must stop demo. Not long after that our government through NPRA announced the upward adjustment of fuel prices. As if that is not bad enough, the Cedi’s free fall continued unabated and now stands at a pitiful GHC 4.10 to $1.00. We were minding our own business and looking for ways to survive under such harsh conditions only to wake up on Thursday morning to the sad news of the acid attack on the U/E regional Chairman of the NPP Adams Mahama.

ACID ATTACKS ON THE RISE IN GHANA?
I will spare you the details and the conspiracy theories surrounding the death of the late Mr. Adams Mahama whose funeral was held on Saturday 23 May. How the death occurred and who might have attacked has already been widely discussed in the media since the death occurred, but as the discussions went on, it got me thinking about the numerous other acid attacks that have been reported in the media on several occasions. A week does not go by without a story of a jilted boyfriend/girlfriend pouring acid on his/her ex-lover or someone who has a problem with another person also attacking their adversary with acid.

In fact, just on Saturday, 23rd May 23, 2015 as the funeral of Mr. Adams Mahama was going on, I read a story on peacefmonline.com about an ACID ATTACK VICTIM WHO HAD GONE BLIND. The story states that Henrietta Amoah a seamstress was allegedly attacked with acid by her fiancé on her face specifically a few weeks ago and daily guide had confirmed that the lady was now declared blind after the incident which occurred a couple of weeks ago.

The story of Henrietta is just one of the thousands of cases of acid attacks that we keep hearing week in and week out.

DO WE HAVE LAWS REGULATING ACID POSSESION AND USE IN GHANA?

I tried using going to find out if Ghana had any law on acid but unfortunately nothing came up. Our constitution also predictably has nothing on it since the constitution reasonably cannot contain all laws, but I am yet to check through acts of parliament hopefully there would be something there.

However as I persisted with my google search, I came across a more worrying news report on myjoyonline.com on how much acid is sold. According to the story , Joyfm reporter Kwetey Nartey went to Abossey Okai in Accra and found out that the chemical is sold at GHC 1.50 per gallon. More disturbing is the fact that you don’t need any license to sell it; you also don’t need any license to buy it. All you need is a relationship with the seller to get the chemical and that relationship can be established in just a matter of minutes because according to the story the reporter was able to purchase some and took it back to the station.

According to the same joyfm story, their own investigations revealed that “there appears to be no law/laws regulating the sale of acid despite its deadly nature”. If this is true, then we are truly naked as a country. It means that we all stand the risk of being attacked with acid at any given time all what is required is for you to wrong someone and the person getting hold of acid.

ISSUES AN ACID REGULATION MUST ADDRESS
I am by this drawing the attention of authorities especially the attorney generals department, and the ministry of interior as well as the office of parliament to the need for Ghana to have a functioning acid regulatory law.

Such a law should address the issue of who manufactures it or imports it. The quantity being manufactured or imported, who can purchase it or possess it from the manufacturer or importer, who has the permission to purchase it from the retailer as well as what the person is using the acid for and the quantity each individual or company is allowed to purchase at any given point in time. It should also cover the necessary paper work and identification mechanisms which will go on before the chemical is sold out.

I propose that any law or regulation should as a matter of necessity include retailers especially using receipts similar to those the banks use as well as providing national identification cards like passport, voters ID cards, Ghana ID card, or the National health insurance cards and the retailer would be required to photocopy that card. On the receipt form too, reason for purchase should be indicated as well as evidence to show that the said reason is actually what it is going to be used for. For example medical institutions will be required to produce a certificate allowing them to purchase or/and a signed doctors request form with the doctors details. For garages or mechanic shops, they are to provide their registration license which the retailer would be required to photocopy as well as particulars of the car whose battery they are going to use the acid on.

LIFE IS PRICELESS.
We cannot put any price tag on life and thus we need as a matter of urgency to bring about a regulation governing the use of acid. We also need to make sure that we have a very active regulatory body who will audit the production and distribution of acid religiously to ensure that there is no room for error. The police must have a task force purposely for checking the use f acid, the bureau of National investigation rather than terrorizing opposition politicians must have a task force that will periodically audit and monitor the activities of people who manufacture/import acid and those who sell them as well as garages or mechanic shops who use them.

I am at risk you at risk, our friends and family are at risk.

#StopAcidAttackNow
Until I write to you again, good bye for now. YOUR GRANDSON. ALBERT OPARE. [email protected] ibelieveinghana.blogspot.com

The Author Albert Opare is a political science graduate from the University of Ghana and a social commentator as well as a social & political activist. He is also a freelance writer. You can contact the author by mail on [email protected] or txt on 0575125101. Comments and Criticisms are welcome.

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