Residents of Mempeasɛm, a community in the Assin Fosu Municipality of the Central Region have avowed to halt the erection of a fuel station in the area due to its risk proximity.
Tension is mounting as the residents claim the edifice is blocking access to certain social amenities in the area.
Speaking to Assin Fosu based Rich FM’s Obaapa Adwoa Benyiwaa Kwanimaa, who also reports for Onua News, the leader of the agitators, Grace Andoh, says she is heading to court.
“I won’t accept the location of the filling station because my house is closer to it. You’re supposed to invite the entire community to deliberate on it whether we’ll accept or not.
“I’m going to court. I was even going yesterday but the manager asked me to meet him in Accra and I said the land is not in Accra but here so we should go and sign an agreement in court, that in case there is a fire outbreak, he will rebuild my house and everything and provide everything in it. It wasn’t conclusive so I’m meeting the MCE and queen of this land to inquire if that’s what the law says. The assemblyman did not say anything. We only woke up one day to see the construction ongoing,” Mrs. Andoh expressed.
Some of the irate residents also bemoaned the location of the filling station say it was supposed to be built on the outskirts of the town, and not in the heart of it.
“I’m not in support of it especially when I recall the filling station fire incident on TV. This one is just a stone throw and you want to kill us with it. I’m a 72 year old woman,” a woman lamented.
“It’s really a blow to us because they’re done with all the underground work. It’s left with only the erection of the shade. The chief is a complicit,” a man alleged.
“It shouldn’t be that close to home. And they also want to block the road we use and that’ll affect us. How can a vehicle even enter here if something happens? Another lady quizzed.
“Where they fixed the tank is so close to the road and honestly, I’m really afraid,” a young man was concerned.
Meanwhile, the Assembly member for the area, Abdul Rahman Ibrahim says even though the developer has a permit from National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) including the Ghana National Fire Service, Nicholas Fiifi Baakoh, the MCE, should have met the residents to take their concerns before anything begun.
Source: Onuaonline.com|Ghana
