The Ghana Armed Forces has dismissed calls from residents in Tema to relocate the military base armoury at Michel Camp following a fire outbreak in the early hours of Wednesday.
Fire caught the armoury and in the aftermath sent explosions of dangerous ammunition into homes nearby.
Witnesses say they heard loud noises shortly after huge flames engulfed the armoury at the military base in Tema, in the Greater Accra Region.
The residents have demanded the relocation of the ammunition depot, saying that the military facility is a hazard to their habitat.
…this has affirmed our call for all these years that government needs to do something about this armoury…and hear the cry of the people who have settled here,” Assemblyman for the area, Anthony Nukpenu said.
However, speaking to Joy FM, Director of Public Affairs at the Ghana Armed Forces Colonel Eric Aggrey Quarshie rebutted the claims of the residents.
He explained that the military facility was put up in the 1960s and by then, “the whole area was complete bush. Anybody there came to meet the depot,” he added.
Asked whether the military is considering the suggestion to move, Aggrey Quarshie said that was not the solution.
“It doesn’t matter where you relocate to, people will move to the place,” he said.
He said what was paramount was to ensure that “the safety measures there are up to scratch.”
He added that minus the good safety practices that were installed at the depot, “the situation would have been different.”
The Colonel also dismissed suggestions of the military evicting residents in the area, saying that was not the mandate of the military.
He, however, raised concerns that most of the residents there are encroachers.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Cant it also be that some ammunitions were stolen in preparation of 2020 elections since NPP knows its on its way out and fire set into the armory to destroy evidence?
In the late 90's and early 2000 Burma Camp used to have vast lands that separated it from the outside world.Today, that cannot be said as it has been engulfed with private residence. People must understand that in as much as you feel protected residing close to such barracks, it rather serve a greater risk. The closer you are, the dangerous it gets. Things happen. Ammunition could be manhandled. There i2s no absolute anywhere. Play it safe when choosing a site to build.
Let Ghanaians stop their too know and face the reality. The armory was there the residents moved there. Lets think of the safety aspect of it as the colonel mentioned. There are a lot armories sitting in the centers of cities in the USA and no one can ask them to move because it was regulations. Any resident who feel unsafe can move to a different location. Not the military. Thank you.
These are the very ***barred word*** destroying our own self. you go through the back door, using all foul means to acquire these lands pretending you dont know the repercussions; some even think they have outwit the relevant authorities. Now, when the realities dawn on you then same people will turn round and blame same authorities they outwitted. Who are we trying to deceive? we wunt go anywhere as a nation until we do own introspection. Thats why some believe we need to go back to the revolutionary period and the times of Antoa and Akonedi (though I dont subscribe). We really need to wake up and catch up with rest of the world.
Why should they relocate the base you came to meet? If anything, it should be the other way around. You knew there was a military base and as such an armoury yet you chose to build there. There used to be buffer zones between the barracks and the nearby communities but they have all been sold out. Sorry, nothing can be done here