Dealing with mystery deaths at Kpone

Whatever reason is assigned to this occurrence, four deaths at a work-place within one month, is alarming. That is one reason why

The Chronicle is calling for an urgent investigation into the circumstances leading to the loss of lives of four workers at the 340 megawatts thermal plant being constructed at Kpone, near Tema, in the Greater Accra Region.

We are told that four workers of Group 5 Structured Ingenuity, a South African company undertaking the construction have lost their lives within the past four weeks and this has triggered panic among the work-force.

We are further informed that following these mystery deaths, the entire workforce have laid down their tools. Apparently, they are all scared-stiff.

In Africa, one cannot discount superstitious beliefs in matters of this nature. This notion has been fed into us and this might be what has created so much fear and panic among the work-force, such that none of them wants to go back to work.

It is an unfortunate development. But it is one that has brought the progress of the construction to a halt. In an economy in where electric power supply is paramount, the developments at Kpone,  is worrying.

All sorts of weird interpretations are being read into the unfortunate development. The Chronicle has learned at the site that the workers' fear is founded in the knowledge that the construction of the nearby Sunon Asogli Power Plant was preceded by a cleansing exercise, during which a cow was slaughtered to appease the gods.

The workers have minced no words in what they believe the problem is. In their estimation, it is the failure of the South African company to pacify the gods before construction begun, and that is the reason why workers' are losing their lives in circumstances that is bordering on spirituality.

No one wants to lose his or life unless that person is on a suicide mission. That is what accounts for the stalling of the project at a time energy is in great demand in Ghana.

The Chronicle would like to recommend an urgent solution to the problem. Without necessarily pointing to the spiritual realm for solution, we would like to believe that there is no harm in making the kind of sacrifices that would put the workers' mind at rest.

Without sounding holier than the Pope, The Chronicle would also like to suggest that a non-denominational prayer session could be organized at the site to seek the blessing of our creator to guide the construction to its logical conclusion.

There is also an urgent need for a hard look at the work ethics at the site, to ensure that something has not gone amiss with the equipment and its use. If workers are not abreast with the right use of the equipment and their chemical composition, there would be the need for training and re-training.

We are not playing God here. But we are unable to bring ourselves to believe that all four deaths, within a month, could be traced to natural occurrence. There must definitely be something wrong.

As it is, all kinds of interpretations are being assigned for what most of the workers believe are un-natural deaths.

In any case, we cannot afford to waste more time dithering when the 340 megawatts energy are urgently needed to augment power supply in the country. The thermal plant at Kpone should not be delayed unnecessarily.