Minister wants EPA investigated

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Togbe Fiti 10 years ago

Is there anybody left in the system we can count on now? Corruption has become so pervasive that the good Lord may have to despatch one of the archangels to come down to rule us, else, we are all doomed.

Is there anybody left in the system we can count on now? Corruption has become so pervasive that the good Lord may have to despatch one of the archangels to come down to rule us, else, we are all doomed.
SGT ANANI FIADZOE 10 years ago

Under the administration of NDC led by senseless and corrupt Dramani Mahama,
there is no where corruption cannot be
present, the entire nation is rotten with corruption, thievery, loot and share, dumso, dumso and poor econo ...
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Under the administration of NDC led by senseless and corrupt Dramani Mahama,
there is no where corruption cannot be
present, the entire nation is rotten with corruption, thievery, loot and share, dumso, dumso and poor economical strategy. Togbe please do not be amazed at all, Ghana is now a hopeless, foolish sovereignty and stupid in an as much as we have the so-called politicians the NDC robbing
the state and the Teax Payers for their own selfish interest.

NDC are thinking of how they can win elections in 2016 but not as how they
can solve the dumso, dumso crises,
economic confusion the have brought to bear on our nation and the majority people of this country.
Ali Baba 10 years ago

It is well known that the NPP is a tribal party that is how they got their name MATEMEHU. But I had expected that some of their members would be civilized and not primitive. But what do we hear? Kyei Mensah Bonsu Lawrence Add ...
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It is well known that the NPP is a tribal party that is how they got their name MATEMEHU. But I had expected that some of their members would be civilized and not primitive. But what do we hear? Kyei Mensah Bonsu Lawrence Addae said Ewes, Gas and Norherners are not FIT to be president of this country. After Dr Afari Djan (who NPP still insults today) had declared Thief Kufour president in 2001 the NPP told us: NKRANFUO Y3 DA KU ASE OO, Y3 ADZE Y3 MAN". Obetsebi Lamptey,who doesnt know where be belongs said "the presdency is the birthright of Akans". Now listen to Osafo Marfo, the man who collapsed Bank for Housing & Construction (WHILE SITTING IN BHC HEADOFFICE AT MOBIL HOUSE SITED ON A NATURAL RESOURCE ON GA LAND)also expressing the same primitive tribal mentality. What manner of people are these? Osafo Marfo, I now understand why you signed an agreement (written in German)on our behalf without understanding it. You are a DISGRACE. NPP you are a DISSGRACE.YOU DONT DESERVE TO BE IN THE FLAGSTAFF HOUSE AGAIN. NEVER
OLD SOLDIER 10 years ago

Author:-Close Observer...
WE NEED SENSIBLE, HONEST AND EXPERIENCE PEOPLE TO LEAD GHANA. VOTE THE USELESS NDC PARTY OUT IN 2016. MAHAMA DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING. HE IS ONLY CELEBRATING THE POSITION HE HAS. VOTE HIM OUT ...
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Author:-Close Observer...
WE NEED SENSIBLE, HONEST AND EXPERIENCE PEOPLE TO LEAD GHANA. VOTE THE USELESS NDC PARTY OUT IN 2016. MAHAMA DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING. HE IS ONLY CELEBRATING THE POSITION HE HAS. VOTE HIM OUT IN 2016.

WE HAVE NO SNOW TO DEAL WITH. NO BITTER COLD TEMPERATURE TO DEAL WITH. People who have these 80% of the year have developed their countries and made life comfortable for themselves.
WE HAVE GOLD, DIAMOND, OIL, GOOD LAND FOR FARMING, WE ARE NOT LANDLOCKED AND WE HAVE TIMBER. We however have THIEVES IN POLITICS and 90% LAZY AND FOOLISH CITIZENS; so with all the good things we have been blessed with that can make life comfortable, WE ARE POOR. IT IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. Every foolish person who goes into politics thinks even without any tangible contribution to the development of Ghana, deserve FREE CAR, FREE PETROL, POLICE ESCORT, FREE ACCOMMODATION, LOTS OF CASH REWARDS, A HOUSE BOY AND ANOTHER HUGE SUM OF MONEY AFTER THEIR TERM IN OFFICE FOR MAKING GHANAIANS EVEN POORER.

ARE WE NOT FOOLISH?

If you are not sure of the answer, look at the EUROPEANS AND NORTH AMERICANS. They don't have the FAVOURABLE WEATHER WE HAVE ALL YEAR ROUND, BUT THEY HAVE DEVELOPED THEIR COUNTRIES. So in conclusion, WE ARE VERY FOOLISH. IN FACT, VERY, VERY FOOLISH AND LAZY
Ali Baba 10 years ago

If the Minister is saying that those DANGEROUS CHEMICALS are used in the manufacturing of FERTILIZERS then what are we in for?

If the Minister is saying that those DANGEROUS CHEMICALS are used in the manufacturing of FERTILIZERS then what are we in for?
purple 10 years ago

this minister is gravely mistaken.....he is behaving as if he doesnt know the way Ghanaians behave....how many EPA offices do we have in each region??....how many officers are in each office??....does he know the extent to wh ...
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this minister is gravely mistaken.....he is behaving as if he doesnt know the way Ghanaians behave....how many EPA offices do we have in each region??....how many officers are in each office??....does he know the extent to which these few officers have to work hard to even put the country where it is now??....does he know that these officers lives are constantly in danger when they are out on the field??....does he know that some officers of the EPA work on saturdays and even on holidays??....i personally can attest to the good work of the EPA....the so-called minister should just shut up and give reward where its due....what the EPA officers do a day, he would take a month to do.....kudos EPA....continue your good work
ubatu 10 years ago

I have personally observed corruption in the very Agency that is suppose to protect and safeguard the people and environment. I hope Anas could take his men there! Their AKOBEN audits is full of fishy deals. There are less th ...
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I have personally observed corruption in the very Agency that is suppose to protect and safeguard the people and environment. I hope Anas could take his men there! Their AKOBEN audits is full of fishy deals. There are less than 300 officers nationwide; and the minister expects them to do what??? Gh is full of shit and the earlier we deal judicially with some of the people the better!
mawusi 10 years ago

Amazing minister. I respect you Sir. I am impressed. The EPA is now under the spotlight, this is long overdue, this should have happened some 15 years ago, the EPA is so corrupt, ask the mining companies and the mining Com mu ...
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Amazing minister. I respect you Sir. I am impressed. The EPA is now under the spotlight, this is long overdue, this should have happened some 15 years ago, the EPA is so corrupt, ask the mining companies and the mining Com munities and environmentalists in Ghana. It is surprising how the EPA has for long escaped public scrutiny and investigations to the extent that they do whatever they want. Another government agency that is so corrupt is the minerals commission.
KWAA 10 years ago

"Divi ma me ndibi,"nobody in position in Ghana cares about what happens to the Country.All they care about is their own pockets.ghanaian officials are behaving as if they shall never die,they should keep stealing,and I hope i ...
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"Divi ma me ndibi,"nobody in position in Ghana cares about what happens to the Country.All they care about is their own pockets.ghanaian officials are behaving as if they shall never die,they should keep stealing,and I hope if they die they can take all the booties with them.
ABIZY 10 years ago

MINISTER BE ACTIVE, PAY REGULAR AD MORE SURPRISE VISITS. WE WANT ACTION, NOT MERE WORDS. YOU SHOULD GO ROUND AND ENSURE THAT THINGS ARE IN ORDER.

MINISTER BE ACTIVE, PAY REGULAR AD MORE SURPRISE VISITS. WE WANT ACTION, NOT MERE WORDS. YOU SHOULD GO ROUND AND ENSURE THAT THINGS ARE IN ORDER.

United Ghana 10 years ago

This is a very serious matter. Ammonium nitrate can be used for explosives and cannot fall into the wrong hands

This is a very serious matter. Ammonium nitrate can be used for explosives and cannot fall into the wrong hands
if the lone crusader 10 years ago

What is epa abunch of sell outs and they are also paid the state.shame! Look at what galamsay has done to mother ghana and they look on .take their salaries and go to church everyday?lord have mercy

What is epa abunch of sell outs and they are also paid the state.shame! Look at what galamsay has done to mother ghana and they look on .take their salaries and go to church everyday?lord have mercy
if the lone crusader 10 years ago

They are buffons lazy crooks

They are buffons lazy crooks
purple 10 years ago

u are rather the lazy crook.....u sit here and just insult people....do u know the mandates of the EPA??....u know nothing yet u sit here lazily and insult people....use the time u waste here to learn about issues and give go ...
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u are rather the lazy crook.....u sit here and just insult people....do u know the mandates of the EPA??....u know nothing yet u sit here lazily and insult people....use the time u waste here to learn about issues and give good suggestions that will help move mother Ghana forward
The mask 10 years ago

The Senchi consensus provides some bits and pieces of ideas but betrays the lack of understanding of the planners of basic macroeconomics. The consensus was formed with the assumption that the IMF, an organization whose purp ...
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The Senchi consensus provides some bits and pieces of ideas but betrays the lack of understanding of the planners of basic macroeconomics. The consensus was formed with the assumption that the IMF, an organization whose purpose has expired, and World bank would continue to think for Ghana.
k, no problem, a 10 years ago

Oh ghana. This too it is the fault of the president. There are regional directors who are supposed to do their work.
Any way with this revelation the director should be sacked immediately. We must be disciplined. May be the ...
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Oh ghana. This too it is the fault of the president. There are regional directors who are supposed to do their work.
Any way with this revelation the director should be sacked immediately. We must be disciplined. May be the president cannot sack because he is himself guilty of many things.
KWAA 10 years ago

Of course we blame the President for everything going wrong in Ghana,because he would have taken the credit if things were going well.The President is the CEO of coperate Ghana,and any CEO takes the blame if the company is pr ...
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Of course we blame the President for everything going wrong in Ghana,because he would have taken the credit if things were going well.The President is the CEO of coperate Ghana,and any CEO takes the blame if the company is preforming poorly,because it is the CEO who appoints the people who run the affairs of the Company.Because the President is presumed to be corrupt,he can't take action against his corrupt appointees,that is why corruption seems to be everywhere in Ghana.Imagine one must pay a teacher before passing exams,how can we produce good students if everything is about who can pay?Ghana is indeed rotten.
Kojo Nti 10 years ago

Nooooooo. The President is a good man. May be he is doing nothing much that you can appreciate. If you need to blame anyone it must be his brother Ibrahim. He is the Mafia boss engaged in everything including this case. Unfo ...
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Nooooooo. The President is a good man. May be he is doing nothing much that you can appreciate. If you need to blame anyone it must be his brother Ibrahim. He is the Mafia boss engaged in everything including this case. Unfortunately he was not elected.
purple 10 years ago

the EPA director should sacked immediately???....do u even know his name??....all u do is make senseless comments....what revelation are u talking about??....as far as i can tell, there was no revelation in the article above. ...
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the EPA director should sacked immediately???....do u even know his name??....all u do is make senseless comments....what revelation are u talking about??....as far as i can tell, there was no revelation in the article above.....it is an issue that has been raised and needs to be investigated....it is not a revelation my brother....go and learn more before giving judgements
James 10 years ago

Not only that, EPA as a gov't agency is incapable of monitoring and supervising our food storage warehouses, food manufacturing and processing companies, our restaurants, hotels and chop bars. There are serious lapses here an ...
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Not only that, EPA as a gov't agency is incapable of monitoring and supervising our food storage warehouses, food manufacturing and processing companies, our restaurants, hotels and chop bars. There are serious lapses here and the food we eat must be given utmost priority. Most of these places are virtually crawling with rodents and insects. Out abattoirs will scare anyone into stop eating meat. Its a death trap. Because EPA has failed Ghanaians, foreigners who import food have and are flouting the laws of the land. EPA, wake up. We don't want to hear Ghanaians dying for ingesting pest infested food before you act.

purple 10 years ago

have u ever heard of the ministry of food and agriculture??.....have u ever heard of food and drugs board??...go and learn about the mandates of the EPA....how many epa officers at all do we have in the country that u are exp ...
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have u ever heard of the ministry of food and agriculture??.....have u ever heard of food and drugs board??...go and learn about the mandates of the EPA....how many epa officers at all do we have in the country that u are expecting them to do wonders??...it is our own behavior that is causing all these stuff...should someone tell u to keep your environment clean??....a change in our attitude is what we need
Serious 10 years ago

EPA is so corrupt that they connive with companies to re label expired agrochemicals to sell to unsuspecting poor farmers. It's only God who can help us in this country. No wonder we have lots of kidney diseases, BP ,stroke e ...
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EPA is so corrupt that they connive with companies to re label expired agrochemicals to sell to unsuspecting poor farmers. It's only God who can help us in this country. No wonder we have lots of kidney diseases, BP ,stroke etc on the rise.
Enyo 10 years ago

Another smokescreen typical of governance in Ghana! This is all about Greenline Logistics losing on a competive bidding process to Stellar logistics. More to the point it's about Greenline logistics using its connection to th ...
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Another smokescreen typical of governance in Ghana! This is all about Greenline Logistics losing on a competive bidding process to Stellar logistics. More to the point it's about Greenline logistics using its connection to the ex-President Rawlings to get a contract it couldn't win by the rules of the game. It is interesting why the Minister will not allow the laid down procedures by law to work when a complaint is made but decides to jump the gun. Guess who the complainant in this case is-Greenline logistics...a competitor to Stellar logistics. Is there any indication that the EPA or Stellar logistics contacted for their comments in this article? NO. This sums it all because the minister arrogates to himself the mandate "investigate" a complaint by himself with his chosen press people in tow, calls a so-called press conference and draws concrete conclusions based on what Greenline logistics says even before he visits the site. For the records the said chemicals do not sit on the "bare floor" but on wooden pallets. Can the Minister tell Ghanaians how greenline logistics is doing compared to Stellar logistics on this issue? Can he tell us why they were not happy that the EPA was visiting all companies involved in the storage of chemicals including greenline logistics? This is what happens when people who do not have the the requisite qualifications are asked to manned key ministries. One thing is true though: money or something similar might have changed hands, most probably in the past...but not in the way Mr Anglow is painting the picture, he is the guilty one judging his use of the ex-president n his boys in governance to solve a bussiness issue. It's all about the Rawlings and Atta Mills and Mahama factions in the present administration. Any wonder we are where we are?You have ministers who feel answerable to one faction or the other depending on who got him or her there. Thus, more time is spent on how they can outdo each other to please their benefactors than solving pressing national issues. My humble advice to the Minister is to concentrate on getting the ministry to develope relevant policies for the ministry, which is what the ministry is mandated to do, instead of trying to micro manage institutions under the ministry without the requisite skills nor training. Interesting days lay ahead, more revelations to come forth including how the Minister has ordered that a land duly purchased by the EPA, so the Agency can move to a new site as it outgrows it's present office of the colonial/independence era, should be given back all because Beige Capital has been in a long drawn out battle with the EPA to buy the land from the Agency. Guess who is behind Beige capital.....Ibrahim M. Need I say more? May be yes....IT IS TIME TO TELL POLITICIANS TO LEAVE CIVIL SERVANTS ALONE TO DO THEIR WORK!!!!!!!
purple 10 years ago

thank u! we need more enlightened people like u

thank u! we need more enlightened people like u
kofi 10 years ago

Pls if you are not a Ghanaian, stay out and if not, be a true Ghanaian.

Pls if you are not a Ghanaian, stay out and if not, be a true Ghanaian.
Adwoa 10 years ago

Please, we are discussing very serious issues and should not be reduced to politics and personality. This discussion borders on the safety of Ghanaians and National Security. The issues raised should be dealt with seriously a ...
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Please, we are discussing very serious issues and should not be reduced to politics and personality. This discussion borders on the safety of Ghanaians and National Security. The issues raised should be dealt with seriously and the culprits severely dealt with.
Adwoa 10 years ago

Please we are discussing very serious issues that border on the safety of Ghanaians and National Security and should not be reduced to politics and personalities. The issues raised warrant investigation and the culprits dealt ...
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Please we are discussing very serious issues that border on the safety of Ghanaians and National Security and should not be reduced to politics and personalities. The issues raised warrant investigation and the culprits dealt with severely.
Kofi Bossom 10 years ago

Enyo:

Hold your horses and deal with the facts as presented by the The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosu,

The public will like to know which statement or statements from ...
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Enyo:

Hold your horses and deal with the facts as presented by the The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosu,

The public will like to know which statement or statements from the Minister and which observation or observations he acknowledged can be considered " . . . Another smokescreen typical of governance in Ghana! "?

We are a people who seem to enjoy throwing bombs but do very little of serious thinking about who we are and where we want to go as a nation. It is so easy to accuse and it is even easier to lambast when our interests seem threatened but do we pause to think that the collective may be the way to go instead of the selfish ends of a few.

Ammonium Nitrate is a very potent explosive and can easily explode under conditions of confinement or in the presence of contaminants like fuel oil. As a strong oxidizing agent it can easily be used in improvised explosive devices (home-made bombs and the like to cause mayhem). Ammonium Nitrate is also a hygroscopic substance and highly acidic. Left on untreated surface it can seep into the soil and cause hefty environmental degradation.

The Minister made these "called for investigations into why the EPA has permitted such mode of storage to persist Western Region, breaching safety standards and posing danger to the environment". His call is not limited to any one organisation, if you will observe. Your tantrums, (do you have a tiara?), are therefore baseless and what is more it betrays your ignorance of the issues at stake.
Love your country for once and urge those who may want to look beyond self-interest to seek to bring some normalcy to our political discourse and to proper governance.

Ammonium Nitrate poses a great danger to the public if it is not handled properly. It therefore cannot be transported or stored in a regulatory patchwork. Correct security and safety guidelines should be observed to ensure that ammonium nitrate does not end up in the hands of those who can use it to cause harm or destroy the environment.

Enyo, you seem to have so much details of what seems to be going on behind the scenes. Can you educate the public a little bit? I understand AEL imports the Ammonium Nitrate into Ghana. Do they have any auditor's report as to how these products are received at the ports, transported and warehoused in the country? If they do what do these report say and if they do not, the question is, would they have been allowed to operate in their country without ensuring that there is a proper custody regime in place for their products?

The same question need be asked of Stellar. It is also a foreign company isn't it? There are international environmental protection laws that all companies need to abide by; if they had managed their products here the same way in the UK, will they still be in business? These are questions the Ghanaian public will like to know.
Finally, do you remember the Oklahoma City bombing in the USA?
The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA on April 19, 1995. Carried out by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the bombing killed 168 people and injured more than 680 others. The blast destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a 16-block radius, destroyed or burned 86 cars, and shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings, causing at least an estimated $652 million worth of damage. Extensive rescue efforts were undertaken by local, state, federal, and worldwide agencies in the wake of the bombing, and the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) activated eleven of its Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces, consisting of 665 rescue workers who assisted in rescue and recovery operations.

Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols purchased or stole the forty 50-pound (23 kg) bags of ammonium nitrate they used in the bombing.

THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY

a) The public safety issues surrounding the potential criminal misuse of Ammonium Nitrate are of the highest concern for the Nations in the West African region because of the Boko Haram threat. Recently Boko Haram fighters broke into cement factories in the Kaduna area in Nigeria and made away with tons of ammonium nitrate. Prior to that Nigerian papers had reported Nigerian police raiding 'Boko Haram' bomb factory in northeast of Nigeria and recovering from a safe house " . . . 30 pieces of electronic detonators, 19 improvised explosive devices, 50 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, fuses and 20 kilogrammes of phosphorous.". After the 26 August 2011 attack on the UN building in Abuja's Central Business District which killed several people it was found that Boko Haram had used a military grade explosive such as Semtex, or explosives made from ammonium nitrate stolen from various unlicensed warehouses in the Northeast of Nigeria and particularly around Wuuojabbe district in Jimeta

Hold your horses, Enyo. The threat to our nation of Ammonium Nitrate in the wrong hands cannot be belabored! Join well-meaning Ghanaians to ensure the right things are done. Let us not sell our birth rights for a bowl of soup!
kofi 10 years ago

Was it a fair competition, where the winning party stores the ammonium nitrate at the airport hangar at the peril of the people and also where the losing party, Greenline Logistics ( a Ghanaian company) has built a warehouse ...
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Was it a fair competition, where the winning party stores the ammonium nitrate at the airport hangar at the peril of the people and also where the losing party, Greenline Logistics ( a Ghanaian company) has built a warehouse to the specification suitable for Ammonium storage?
prof 10 years ago

If Ex. President Rawlings has shown interest in the matter particularly when it has grave security consequences, as a Statesmen, he should be concerned.

If Ex. President Rawlings has shown interest in the matter particularly when it has grave security consequences, as a Statesmen, he should be concerned.

artwoks kwesi 10 years ago

BE WISE, ENYO
If the Minister has seen the problem and is attempting to solve it, he should rather be congratulated not condemned!!!

BE WISE, ENYO
If the Minister has seen the problem and is attempting to solve it, he should rather be congratulated not condemned!!!
Prof Lungu 10 years ago

This so-called Minister must be asleep.

Assuming the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation is this Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosuh!

1. Is the EPA not under his purview?

2. If so, why is he complaining, i ...
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This so-called Minister must be asleep.

Assuming the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation is this Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosuh!

1. Is the EPA not under his purview?

2. If so, why is he complaining, instead of providing some facts, in addition to work plans be which the EPA is/will address the issues, instead of attempting to make a fool of us all?

3. If Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosu is the Ministers, why is it the case that according to the EPA, their "Minister", Minister for
Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation is, "Joseph (Joe) OTENG-ADJEI (Dr)"?

Should not Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosu do his home work before all that talk?

A ha!

We are reminded: Talk is Real Cheap!
APOSTLE ELIJAR 10 years ago

BEFORE ANY FURTHER INVESTIGATION, ALL THESE COMPANIES MUST BE CLOSED DOWN WITH HEAVY FINE. MAYBE JAIL TIME.

BEFORE ANY FURTHER INVESTIGATION, ALL THESE COMPANIES MUST BE CLOSED DOWN WITH HEAVY FINE. MAYBE JAIL TIME.
Godservant mama Ghana. 10 years ago

I hear the mining companies have to pay the reviewers of their document huge sums before they are granted permit. some individuals in the agency are compromising with the integrity of the agency. the Minister must do proper ...
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I hear the mining companies have to pay the reviewers of their document huge sums before they are granted permit. some individuals in the agency are compromising with the integrity of the agency. the Minister must do proper investigation and culprits should be dealt with accordingly.
Kofi Bossom 10 years ago

Eno:

You may want to educate yourself about the dangers Ammonium Nitrate can cause :
AMMONIUM NITRATE DISASTERS - HAZARDS AND DAGERS POSED BY AN
Timeline of major disasters culled from Mental Floaa
United Kingdom Favers ...
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Eno:

You may want to educate yourself about the dangers Ammonium Nitrate can cause :
AMMONIUM NITRATE DISASTERS - HAZARDS AND DAGERS POSED BY AN
Timeline of major disasters culled from Mental Floaa
United Kingdom Faversham, Kent
April 2, 1916 Number of deaths: 120 The Great Explosion: On April 2, 1916 a factory in Uplees, Faversham, exploded after a fire spread to a store of 15 tons of TNT and 150 tons of ammonium nitrate. The blast at the Explosives Loading Company killed 120 people and shattered windows in Southend-on-Sea across the Thames Estuary while the tremor was felt inNorwich.[1]
United States Morgan, New Jersey (nowSayreville)
October 4, 1918 Number of deaths 0 T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion: On October 4, 1918, an explosion at the Morgan Depot occurred leading to many artillery shells being launched into the air, some of which landed on a neighbouring warehouse where 4000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were stored in barrels. One of the shells caused a large explosion, but the majority of the ammonium nitrate did not detonate.
Germany Kriewald
July 26, 1921 Number of deaths 19 On July 26, 1921, in this railway town (now in Poland) workers tried to dislodge 30 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had aggregated (solidified into one mass) in two wagons. When mining explosives were used on this solid mass the wagons exploded and killed nineteen people.[2]
Germany Oppau
September 21, 1921 Number of deaths 561 Explosion at BASF plant Oppau: Another attempt at disaggregation of a fertilizer mix with industrial explosives caused the death of 561 people and left more than 2000 injured. The fertilizer was a 50:50 mixture of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate and the factory had used this method of disaggregation over 20,000 times without incident. It is thought that, on this occasion, poor mixing had led to certain parts of the mass containing more ammonium nitrate than others. Only 450 tonnes exploded, out of 4500 tonnes of fertilizer stored in the warehouse.[3]
United States Nixon, New Jersey
(now Edison Township)
March 1, 1924 Number of deaths : 20 1924 Nixon Nitration Works disaster: On March 1, 1924, a fire and several large explosions destroyed a warehouse containing ammonium nitrate at the Nixon Nitration Works. The explosiveness of the product was perhaps enhanced, as it had been prepared using nitric acid that had previously been used for the production ofTNT.
United States Muscle Shoals, Alabama
1925 Number of deaths: 0 On April 4, 1925, and May 3, 1925, two carloads, each containing 220 barrels of ammonium nitrate, were dispatched from Muscle Shoals, Alabama and caught fire in transportation. The barrels had been stored in a warehouse with varying humidity for 6 years, so it is believed that they were ignited by friction with their nitrate-impregnated manila paper lining. Other shipments were reportedly more successful.[4]
France Miramas
August 5, 1940 Number of deaths: 0 240 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in sacks exploded after being hit by a shell from a nearby fire in a munitions train.[5]
Belgium Tessenderlo
April 29, 1942 Number of deaths: 189 Another attempt to disaggregate a pile of 150 tonnes of ammonium nitrate with industrial explosives ended tragically on April 29, 1942: 189 people were killed, 900 wounded.[6]
United States Texas City
April 16, 1947 Number of deaths: 581 Texas City Disaster: The cargo ship Grandcamp was being loaded on April 16, 1947, when a fire was detected in the hold: at this point, 2600 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in sacks were already aboard. The captain responded by closing the hold and pumping in pressurised steam. One hour later, the ship exploded, killing several hundred people and setting fire to another vessel, the High Flyer, which was moored 250 metres away and which contained 1050 tonnes of sulfur and 960 tons of ammonium nitrate. The Grandcamp explosion also created a powerful earthshock that broke windows as far as 40 miles away and knocked two small planes flying at 1,500 feet (460 m) out of the sky. The High Flyer exploded the next day, after having burned for sixteen hours. 500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate on the quayside also burned, but without exploding, probably because it was less tightly packed. All but one member of the Texas City fire department died.
France Brest
July 28, 1947 Number of deaths: 29 The cargo ship Ocean Liberty was loaded with 3300 tonnes of ammonium nitrate and various inflammable products when it caught fire at 12:30 July 28, 1947. The captain ordered the hold to be sealed and pressurised steam was pumped in. As this did not stop the fire, the vessel was towed out of the harbour at 14:00, and exploded at 17:00. The explosion caused 29 deaths and serious damage to the port of Brest.[7]

Red Sea 1954 Number of deaths: 0 A fire was detected on the cargo ship Tirrenia on January 23, 1954, while it was carrying 4000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. Attempts to extinguish the fire with steam were unsuccessful, and the ship was abandoned before it exploded later in the night.[8]
United States Roseburg, Oregon
August 7, 1959 Number of deaths: 14 The Roseburg Blast: A truck carrying dynamite and ammonium nitrate caught fire early in the morning of August 7, 1959. When it exploded it killed 14 people and injured 125 more. Several blocks of downtown Roseburg were destroyed. The accident is locally referred to as "The Blast".

United States Traskwood,Arkansas
December 17, 1960 Number of deaths: 0 On December 17, 1960, a 96 freight car train suffered partial derailment, in which the last 23 cars were derailed. The derailed cars included: four fuel oil tank cars, two tank cars of gasoline, three tank cars of petroleum oil, four cars of lube oil drums, three cars of liquid fertilizer, one car of fuming nitric acid and two cars of fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate. In this particular accident, neither car of ammonium nitrate exploded.[9] However, the nitric acid reacted with the fuel oil, essentially creating ANFO to feed the conflagration, resulting in the spread of the ammonium nitrate material around the incident site.[10]
United States Kansas City, Missouri
November 29, 1988 Number of deaths: 6 On November 29, 1988, at 4:07 am two trailers containing approximately 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) of the explosive ANFO (ammonium nitrate with fuel oil) exploded at a construction site located near the 87th street exit of Highway 71 in Kansas City, Missouri. The explosives were to be used in the blasting of rock while constructing Highway 71. The result of the explosions were the deaths of six firemen from the Kansas City Fire Department's Pumper Companies 30 and 41. Both companies were dispatched after 911 calls indicated that a fire had been set to a pickup truck located near the trailers. The responding companies were warned that there were explosives on-site; however, they were unaware that the trailers were essentially magazines filled with explosives. At 4:07 am one of the "magazines" caught fire and a catastrophic explosion occurred, killing all six firemen instantly — only sparing remains were found. A second blast occurred 40 minutes later, although all fire crews had been pulled back at this time. The blasts created two craters, each approximately 100 feet (30 m) wide and 8 feet (2.4 m) deep. The explosions also shattered windows within a 10-mile (16 km) area and could be heard 40 miles (64 km) away. It was later determined that the explosions were acts of arson, set by individuals embroiled in a labor dispute with the construction company contracted to build the highway.[11][12]
Papua New Guinea Porgera Gold Mine
August 2, 1994 Number of deaths: 11 At 9:45 am, 2 August 1994, 11 workers were killed when the sensitised AN emulsion plant they were working on exploded at the Porgera Gold Mine. The fatal explosion involved at most a few tonnes of explosive. A larger explosion of about 80 tonnes of emulsion (Ammonium Nitrate Emulsion, ANE, UN 3375) was caused by fires under storage facilities at the site at 11:02 am. There were no fatalities in the second explosion because the site had been evacuated. A mushroom cloud was seen to rise.[13]
ANE is an emulsion of ammonium nitrate, fuel and water.

United States Port Neal, Iowa
December 13, 1994 Number of deaths: 4 Port Neal fertilizer plant explosion: At about 6:06 am on December 13, 1994, two explosions rocked the Port Neal, Iowa, ammonium nitrate processing plant operated by Terra Industries. Four people were killed and 18 injured. Approximately 5,700 tons of anhydrous ammonia were released and releases of ammonia continued for six days after the explosions. Groundwater under the processing plant was contaminated by chemicals released as a result of the blast. The timing of the explosion occurred prior to the start of the arrival of the 8:00 am shift personnel, or the death toll may have been larger.[14][15]
China Xingping,Shaanxi
January 6, 1998 Number of deaths: 22 At midnight on January 6, 1998, the Xinghua Fertilizer company had a series of explosions in the plant. About 27.6 tons of Ammonium nitrate liquor was in a container there. The explosion claimed 22 lives, with a further 56 wounded. The explosion was officially announced as an accident.[16][citation needed]
France Toulouse
September 21, 2001 Number of deaths: 31 AZF: On September 21, 2001, at 10:15 am, in the AZF (Azote de France) fertiliser factory in Toulouse, France, an explosion occurred in a warehouse where the off-specification granular AN was stored flat, separated by partitions. About 200–300 tons is said to be involved in the explosion, resulting in 31 people dead and 2,442 injured, 34 of them seriously. The blast wave shattered windows up to 3 kilometres away, and the resulting crater was 10 metres deep and 50 metres wide. The exact cause remains unknown. The material damage was estimated at 2.3 billion euros. France's Environment Minister concluded the explosion "may have been a terrorist attack" as it was soon after the September 11 attacks and linked to worker with militant views.

Spain Cartagena, Murcia
January 2003 Number of deaths: 0 The fertilizer storage facility of Fertiberia held a self-sustained decomposition (SSD) fire in January 2003. The fire was controlled after most of the material was removed by mechanical means.[citation needed]
France Saint-Romain-en-Jarez
October 2, 2003 Number of deaths: 0 A fire broke out in Saint-Romain-en-Jarez (Loire) in a barn, which at the time of the accident contained: a gasoline-powered forklift, a battery charger, two 13- kg gas bottles, miscellaneous farm machinery, 500 kg of quicklime, 500 wooden crates, 6,000 to 7,000 plastic crates,and between 3 and 5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate packaged in big-bags. Bales of hay and straw were being stored on the mezzaanine and ~500kg apples kept in the cold storage rooms. The fire started around 3pm, and fire-fighters were notified of the blaze at 4:02 pm. They arrived on the scene at 4:23 and started to extinguish the fire. At 5:12 pm the explosion occurred. Twenty six people were injured from the blast, most of them fire-fighters.[17]
Spain Barracas
March 9, 2004 Number of deaths: 2 A truck carrying 25 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded half an hour after a traffic accident on March 9, 2004, killing two people and injuring five others. The explosion, which could be heard at a distance of several kilometers caused a crater five metres deep.[18]
Romania Mih?ile?ti, Buz?u
May 24, 2004 Number of deaths: 18 Mih?ile?ti explosion: A truck carrying 20 tones of ammonium nitrate tipped over on the European road E85 near Mih?ile?ti at 4:57 am on May 24, 2004. Shortly afterwards, a fire started in the cabin. Two reporters got to the site of the accident and started filming while firemen were trying to stop the fire. Around 5:50 am the truck exploded, killing 18 and wounding 13 people. A crater 6.5 meters deep and 42 meters in diameter was formed by the explosion.

North Korea Ryongch?n
April 22, 2004 Number of deaths: 162 Ryongchon disaster: A freight train carrying ammonium nitrate exploded in this important railway town near theChinese border on April 22, 2004, killing 162 people and injuring over 3,000 others. The train station was destroyed, as were most buildings within 500 metres, and nearly 8,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. Two craters of about ten metres in depth were seen at the site of the explosion. The authorities blamed "human error" for the explosion, although rumours persist that it was in fact an attempt to assassinate the North Korean leaderKim Jong-Il, who was due to be passing through the station at the time.

Spain Estaca de Bares
2007 Number of deaths: 0 The NPK fertilizer cargo of the ship Ostedijk sustained a self-sustained decomposition (SSD) fire for 11 days. The fire plume reached 10 m in diameter and several hundred meters in length. Special water spears were inserted inside the cargo to extinguish the fire.[19]
Mexico Monclova, Coahuila
September 10, 2007 Number of deaths: 40 On September 10, 2007, near Monclova, Coahuila, México, a pick-up truck lost control and crashed into a trailer loaded with 22 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil explosives (ANFO) leaving three occupants in the pick-up truck dead in the crash. A fire then started in the trailer's cabin and approximately 40 minutes after that, a huge explosion occurred, resulting in around 150 people injured and 37 more dead. A crater 30 ft (9.1 m) wide and 6 ft (1.8 m) deep was created due to the explosion.[20]
United States Bryan, Texas
July 30, 2009 Number of deaths: 0 A plant in Bryan, Texas (El Dorado Chemical Company), which processes ammonium nitrate into fertilizer, caught fire at about 11:40 am on July 30, 2009. Over 80,000 residents in the Bryan/College Station area were asked to evacuate south of town due to the toxic fumes this fire generated. Texas A&M University provided shelter at Reed Arena, a local venue on campus. Only minor injuries were reported.[21][22]
United States West, Texas
April 17, 2013 Number of deaths: 15 West Fertilizer Company explosion: A fertilizer company in West, Texas, caught fire. Around 20 minutes later, ammonium nitrate stored there exploded, leveling roughly 80 homes and a middle school. 133 residents of a nearby nursing home were trapped in the ruins. In all, 15 were killed, and about 200 injured. There were reports that the facility had stored more ammonium nitrate than it was allowed to, without regulation by the Department of Homeland Security.[23][24]
Australia Wyandra, Queensland
September 6, 2014 Number of deaths: 0 A truck carrying 56 tonnes rolled on a rural road, exploding shortly after the driver was rescued. The explosion was heard 30km away with debris being thrown 2km, it totally destroyed a highway bridge. The driver and 6 firemen were injured.

You know in the developed countries, a non-citizen cannot clear, convey and store dangerous cargo like Ammonium Nitrate. There is a reason for that.
Seth Manu 10 years ago

In the developed countries, you have to be a citizen before you can be licensed to handle and convey and store dangerous cargo like Ammonium Nitrate. Isn't it time Ghanaians tow the same line?

Minister what do you say?

In the developed countries, you have to be a citizen before you can be licensed to handle and convey and store dangerous cargo like Ammonium Nitrate. Isn't it time Ghanaians tow the same line?

Minister what do you say?
John Lloyd 10 years ago

If there are qualified Ghanaians to do this specialised job then why use foreigners? The foreigners will run away and live comfortably in their country when there is a disaster. We have a case in point; you remember the Bhopa ...
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If there are qualified Ghanaians to do this specialised job then why use foreigners? The foreigners will run away and live comfortably in their country when there is a disaster. We have a case in point; you remember the Bhopal India, disaster on December 2, 1984 when a pesticide plant in Bhopal leaked and killed 8000 people, did you find the owners of the plant anywhere? They were quickly back into the countries.

I support the idea that ONLY Ghanaian citizens should be made responsible for handling dangerous cargo. They will pay for any disaster with their lives and environment.

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Minister wants EPA investigated

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