John Jinapor, the Member of Parliament for Yapei/Kusawgu, has attributed the explosion at the quarry site operated by Chinese nationals in Anto-Aboso, Shama District, Western Region, to a failure in policy.
On Saturday night, a tragic explosion at the quarry claimed five lives and left several others with injuries. Among the victims were night workers of both Ghanaian and Chinese nationalities, some of whom suffered severe burns.
The Minerals Commission, in a statement, revealed that the quarry was operating without the necessary authorization. Mine inspectors from the Commission had observed that the company was conducting nighttime operations, possibly to evade detection by Commission inspectors and the local task force, which included the police and members of the Sand Winners and Quarry Association.
Jinapor expressed his concern about why the quarry company was allowed to operate without the required permits and criticized the lack of enforcement to ensure that companies comply with the country’s laws.
During an appearance on Citi TV, the legislator criticized the regulatory bodies for failing to ensure that the quarry company obtained the necessary license.
He emphasized that Ghana has sufficient laws and regulations in place but pointed out that the problem lies in enforcement.
Mr. Jinapor was baffled by the company’s nighttime operations and questioned how they obtained electricity and connected to the grid. He also raised the issue of the district assembly collecting taxes and levies from the company.
Jinapor believed that the incident is a clear example of policy failure, enforcement issues, and impunity exhibited by foreign nationals in Ghana. He called for the matter to be handled at the national level, given the recurrent explosions in the region.
He expressed concerns that the investigation’s findings might not lead to preventive measures against future incidents and feared that the report would gather dust until another explosion occurs.
The regional minister has established a committee to investigate the incident, which marks the second explosion in the Western Region in less than two years, following a similar tragic event in Appeatse in the previous year.
