Manager of the Accra East branch of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Emmanuel Johnson has thrown back the blame at the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) after GNFS blamed their inability to fight the Makola fire outbreak on GWCL.
In an address issued on Thursday, July 8, 2021, Emmanuel insisted that all hydrants GNFS had declared disabled were in fact, 100 per cent fully functional. Therefore says GWCL cannot be blamed for their incapability.
He further expressed shock as to how GNFS officials were busy looking for buckets of water to quench the heavy fire, while all water pipes within Central Business District were flowing.
He disclosed that the fire service made over 12 trips to fetch water from the office on Monday through to Wednesday to fight the fire.
Emmanuel added that GWCL has warned GNFS to desist from selling waters from GWCL fire hydrants to the public, so it won’t have to be looking for whom to blame when calamity strikes.
“It is public knowledge that the fire tenders which are supposed to be used specifically for firefighting are being abused. We have incidences littered across the length and breadth of the country, where officials of the GNFS sell water to the public and have complained to their offices and even some of their officials have come to our office to volunteer information to GWCL.”
To him, the GWCL has discharged its duty by providing adequate hydrants in the Central Business District and all areas within the metropolis, ensuring that the hydrants are in good condition readily available for use by the GNFS.
“Thus, fulfilling our obligation as a company. Upon similar allegations against the GWCL in 2018, the GWCL requested for an audit of all the fire hydrants in the country, so together with the Ministry of Interior, we could have the faulty ones, as claimed by the GNFS repaired.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, of the press, the GWCL is still waiting for the response from the GNFS.
“Ghana Water Company can not be blamed in any way, for the inability of the GNFS to douse the fire on Monday to the expectations of the general public. The GNFS should adhere to their Standard Operation Procedures and stop blaming others for their shortcomings.”
