Menekpo residents against location of filling station
Residents of Menekpo, a suburb of Odumase-Krobo in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, have made a passionate appeal to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to intervene immediately by stopping the construction of a new petrol station in the heart of the community.
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According to residents, following the combined flood and fire disaster that occurred at a filling station in Accra, which caused over 150 deaths and destruction to properties, they were afraid of a possible disaster should the facility be completed and become operational.
A spokesperson for the community, Mr John Lawer Djembi, in the company of other members of the community and media personnel, undertook a tour of the construction site. The yet-to-be completed filling station is situated directly within the Menekpo community and very close to houses, the community toilet, the community library and the Menekpo Presbyterian Basic School.
Mr Djembi said even though opinion leaders in the community had written to the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly protesting against the location of the facility, they were yet to receive a response.
He produced a copy of the letter which was written and signed by Nene Angmor Owuadjoa, a divisional chief of the area, Mr C. L. Djaba, an elder in the community, Mr John Lawer Djembi, chairperson of a school management committee, and Mr Anati Benjamin, a PTA chairman. The letter, dated May 20, 2015 was captioned, “Letter of Protest –Save Our Souls” and copied to the Eastern Regional Minister.
Part of the letter read: “We the leaders, with the consent of the townfolks in the Menekpo community and its environs, are raising this protest against the construction of the filling station, which is in the heart of the community and also too close to dwelling places as well as public facilities.”
According to the spokesperson, the facility is only about 20 metres from some homes in the community. He alleged that when the Municipal Engineer, Mr Francis Onai, was contacted on the matter, he seemed rather to support the construction of the facility at the controversial site.
“Although we urged and insisted that the structure be marked ‘Stop Work’, he refused, thus fuelling rumours that he was in collusion with the owner of the facility,” he said.
Mr Djembi said under the circumstances, the people were left with no other option than to refer the matter to the NPA for redress.
When the Daily Graphic contacted Mr Onai by telephone, he said he had visited the site and was conducting investigations.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Lower Manya Krobo, Mr Jacob Frederick Kwame Acolatse, said he was still studying the documents on the project submitted to him and would respond in due course.