Close down ‘dangerous’ gas station at Bantama – Chief tells Minister

Chief of Banatama, Baffour Owusu Amankwatia VI has charged the Ashanti Regional Minister Hon Simon Osei Mensah to close down a life threatening gas dispensing station in Bantama residential area.

According to him, the location of Royal Gas Station at the Lebanon Club behind the Kumasi Cultural Center, poses a potential explosion danger of gas, which would claim the lives of many residents should any accident occur.

Nana Amankwatia VI urged the Ashanti Regional Minister to do something about the gas station or have some questions to answer saying people of Bantama are sitting on a timing bomb.

He added the country cannot afford to continually lose its citizens when there could be measures to avert such occurrences.

“We all know what gas can do when it explode. Minister I have complained about this issue several times and it seems you are not doing anything about it. Last week my people wanted to demonstrate and I told them to wait so I can talk to Otumfour on the issue. Minister I don’t want anything to happen before you will take action. We shouldn’t play with life of our people because that gas when it explodes, majority of people will lose their life” he said.

Speaking at Manhyia Palace Nana Amankwatia VI called on Regional Minister to make an assessment of the situation and relocate the station to avert any possible future catastrophe.

The Regional Minister Hon Simon Osei Mensah assured that he is putting proper measures in place to relocate the gas station to avoid any court issues.

“It is difficult to close down or relocate gas station if the owner has papers. We are going through our documents and also have talks to the owner to see the best way we can relocate the gas station” he said.