Government has interdicted the Chief Inspector of Mines, Mr Richard Kofi Adjei with immediate effect, pending the ongoing investigation into the huge explosion at Appiatse near Bogoso in the Western Region that claimed some lives, injured many and rendered hundreds homeless.
Mr Adjei was interdicted by the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission following a directive from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor.
The directive was in pursuant to Regulation 2 of the Minerals and Mining (Explosive) Regulation, 2012 (L.I 2177), which stipulates that the “Chief Inspector of Mines is the chief inspector of explosives, and is responsible for the supervision of the manufacture, storage, transportation, and use of explosives for mining and mine support services”.
The CEO of the Minerals Commission Martin Kwaku Ayisi was also directed to suspend the registration of Maxam Company Limited with the Commission, thereby precluding the company from the manufacture, transportation and or supply of explosives for mining operations, pending the outcome of the probe into the matter.
Apart from the deaths, the explosion destroyed several properties.
The tragic incident occurred after a motorcycle went under a truck carrying explosives owned by Maxam Limited.
The explosives were being transported to the Chirano gold mine, run by Toronto-based Kinross (K.TO)
Seventeen people were confirmed dead in the huge explosion as of last Friday and about 59 others were also injured out of the 76 rescued.
A statement issued by the Minister for Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, following the tragedy, announced that, “As of 17:00 hours, a total of seventeen (17) people have, sadly, been confirmed dead, and fifty-nine (59) injured persons had been rescued, bringing to seventy-six (76), the number of persons known, so far, to have been affected by the tragedy.
“Out of the fifty-nine (59) injured persons, forty-two (42) are receiving treatment and some in critical condition.”
The statement added that, “All hospitals within the vicinity are being used to treat injured persons, and an evacuation plan has been activated to move those in critical condition to medical facilities in Accra so they can get the needed assistance.”
Interdiction is not proof of wrongdoing – Abu Jinapor
Meanwhile, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has indicated that the interdiction of the Chief Inspector of Mines and suspension the licence of Maxam Company ahead of the investigation did not indicate the parties were responsible for the incident.
“Let me point out that this directive of mine by no means suggests that the Chief Inspector is guilty of any wrongdoing or is culpable. That should not be the conclusion to be drawn,” Mr Abu Jinapor told Samson Lardy Anyenini, host of JoyNews’ programme ‘Newsfile’ on Saturday.
According to him, the protocols of Maxam Company have not been perused yet and to ensure a similar incident involving the company does not recur, its operation must be suspended so as not to drag the image of government in the mud.
“We have not had the opportunity to interrogate their protocols yet and to conclude the investigation. God forbid, if we wake up tomorrow and we are told transportation of explosives by this same company in another part of the country has resulted in a similar tragic event, what will that tell of the managers of the country?
“That will tell a very bad story of us and smack of bad judgment so I think that in the interim, while the investigations are ongoing, it is proper this company is precluded from the business that has resulted in this tragic incident. These are the fundamental reasoning that precipitated this action”, he reiterated.
