June 3 Disaster Victims Sue Oko Vanderpuye, Others

The former Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuye and two others have been sued for the 2015 June 3 fire and flood disaster that claimed more than 150 lives and left many others injured.

Other defendants in the suit are Ghana Oil Company Limited (Goil), Accra Metropolitan Assembly, and the National Petroleum Authority.

The 69 plaintiffs, most of whom are victims of the disaster are accusing the defendants of negligence, leading to the accident and are seeking GH¢40 million in compensation.

According to the write of summons sighted by citinewsroom.com some of the victims of the disaster said they had suffered permanent disfigurements and physical incapacitations “as a result of the negligence of the Defendants.”

The plaintiffs said they had spent a total of GH¢1.8 million on medical bills and transportation as a result of the incident and had been left unemployable due to the injuries suffered.

In stating the details of the charge against the defendants, the suit said Mr Oko Vandepuye, who is the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West constituency and was the MCE of Accra when the disaster occurred, failed to ensure that the Odaw river and its related tributaries were desilted.

“Failure to desilt the Nima and other Accra drains which led to excessive and fatal flooding on June 3, 2015.”

The suit comes on the back of advocacy by social action group, One Ghana Movement, for justice to be served to persons who were affected in the June 3 twin disaster which happened at the Goil fuel station in Accra.

Most of the families of the over 150 persons who lost their lives in the rain and fire explosion incident, as well as those who suffered several injuries on that fateful day, are yet to be adequately compensated.

Some of the survivors who struggle to fend for themselves and their families have had to live with their scars and deformities two years on.

Source: Citifmonline