Mahama petitioned over Paebo quarry blast

Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam Adoagyiri in the Eastern Region, Frank Annoh-Dompreh has petitioned President Mahama over alleged neglect of victims of the blast at a former quarry site at Paebo.

Over 2,000 residents have been rendered homeless following the blast which has killed three persons so far.

Mr Annoh-Dompreh accuses the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) of neglecting the affected people despite several appeals for help.

“Beyond the assessment done by NADMO there’s still not been any relief items given. The number of distress calls I’m receiving is getting out of hand.

“On my own, I have been able to settle hospital bills and ensured that the dead is buried. Beyond that I think the situation has to be handled properly,” he said.

In the petition, Mr Annoh-Dompreh wants President Mahama to treat the disaster as a national issue and adopt measures to prevent a recurrence.

“It is a large scale disaster which needs to be approached as such. It has assumed a national dimension.”

He said it baffles him that the state institution mandated to act has not done that yet although they have compiled a data of the affected people.

“I think the President has to come in,” he said.

Annoh-Dompreh adds: “When the earthquake happened in Haiti, 3 million dollars of the tax payers’ money was sent to them, what about us…we are also Ghanaians”.