June 3 Disaster: Survivors call for institution of monthly allowance

Survivors of June 3 disasters have called on government to consider instituting a monthly allowance package for their basic upkeep and to care for the needs of their dependents.

Several survivors of the 2015 twin-disasters that killed more than 100 people and deformed many others complained that they are currently jobless many companies refuse to hire their services due to their conditions.

Solomon Otuo Serebour, a foot wear seller and a survivor, who spoke with the Ghana News Agency on Friday, said his wife has divorced him due to his predicament.

He said: “I was captured on front pages of newspapers, so people thought I was dead and before I recovered my wife had packed her things and left, leaving our two children.”

“I have to send my children to the village to stay with my mum, who is still recovering from some emotional trauma as the result of the sad development.”

He also said patronage of his goods has dropped considerably following the horrific incident which deformed his physical stature.

“People get unattractive to my goods when they see my condition. They have no idea I was one of the casualties of the sad occurrence,” he said.

Serebour appealed to the government to formulate a policy that would ensure that the victims received some monthly stipends at the end of every month to help improve upon their living conditions and live normal lives.

Another victim Alex Mensah, a driver now jobless, described as “badly insufficient”, the fund allocated by government to foot their hospital bills.

“My condition was so serious that the GH¢ 10,000 could not cover the entire bills. I have to spend additional GH¢ 6000 to continue the medications,” he said.

“Now I have no job. Sometimes I go to companies for job but they reject me immediately they notice my condition.”

Meanwhile, Kofi Daniel who escaped death narrowly but had his car burnt to ashes said the Accra Metropolitan Assembly promised to assist them have their cars replaced but has failed to do so.

He called on the assembly to deliver on their promise “because we are starving”.

Mr Yaw Ofori Debrah, the President of Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, said a monthly stipend to the survivors was a good idea and urged the victims to form a coalition as a pressure group to defend their rights under Ghana’s Disability Act, 715.

“Severely deformed victims could be considered for the LEAP programme once they can prove beyond all doubts that they are not physically strong to undertake any income earning activity” Mr Debrah said.

He also called on government to help make lives better for the survivors.