"Prosecute dealers in banned explosives"

Front Page: Daily Graphic, December 1, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE committee set up to investigate the Anyaa warehouse fire outbreak on November 17, 2008 has called on the security agencies to embark on swoops across the country to locate, confiscate and prosecute those involved in the trade in banned explosives.
It added that “security agents at the borders must also ensure that banned goods such as firecrackers are not allowed into the country”.
The committee established that the warehouse was stocked with firecrackers and not bombs as had been alleged in certain circles.
“The warehouse probably had poor ventilation, which might have led to accumulated fumes. The goods were highly inflammable and the least exposure to naked fire could have led to the explosion,” it noted.
This were contained in a report issued by the committee set up by the National Security Co-ordinator, Dr Sam G. Amoo, to investigate the immediate cause of the fire and whether there were related remote causes.
The committee, which was under the chairmanship of Mr Frederick Anafi, the Deputy National Security Co-ordinator, was also to investigate if there were any attempts at sabotage or arson, the background of the proprietor of the warehouse in relation to whether the building complied with the building code of Ghana and whether the building had an approved building permit from the district assembly, as well as to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the claim that land guards kept weapons in the warehouse and whether those arms were moved out during the fire outbreak.
It was also to ascertain the number of deaths recorded during the fire outbreak and to investigate any other issues related to the fire outbreak and submit recommendations for the avoidance of future occurrence.
According to the committee, the investigation could not determine the actual cause of fire, although it identified three possibilities.
Those were exposure to naked light such as candle light, naked light provided by kerosene stove used for cooking nearby or close to the warehouse and dropping of packs of Christmas firecrackers near a truck which was being loaded.
It established that there was no evidence to suggest any sabotage or arson.
The report said the proprietor of the warehouse, Janet Akanni Sarbah, alias Sister Delle, was born to a Nigerian mother, Alice Akanni, 61 and a Ghanaian father, Joseph Akanni.
It said the owner did not comply with the Ghanaian building code and did not obtain any building permit before putting up the warehouse.
“There was no evidence to suggest that land guards kept weapons in the warehouse. The explosion was so intense that even if weapons were kept in the warehouse, it would have been impossible for anybody to go in to retrieve the weapons after the explosion,” it said.
The committee said besides the seven persons who died and seven others still in hospital, one more person was still missing.
It said businesses should be reminded of their duty of care to people who work on or visit their premises.
It said the public must be reminded about the ban on those explosives and also get educated through the media on the dangers associated with the usage of firecrackers and explosives.
The committee reminded building inspectors of their duty to ensure that business premises complied with building regulations.
The committee also interviewed the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, who agreed that what he showed to the public at a press conference after the fire outbreak were the same as the exhibits in possession of the committee, which were indeed Christmas firecrackers.