June 3 Victims to Convene at Disaster Site, Demand Compensation

Victims of the 2015 June 3 flood and fire disaster will today gather at the site of the incident, near the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, where over 150 people died.

They are massing up to demand compensation they feel they have been denied.

Some of the victims have complained of economic hardships and have accused the government of neglecting them.

One of them, Sekyi Thomas spoke to Citi News ahead of the protest and said “we have been suffering. That’s why we want this press conference to get out compensation. They [the governemnt] shouldn’t just promise.”

He said he the victims had heard of significant donations, but nothing had come their way.

“Even the president said he released GHc 50,000 for us and after the hospital, we were to see that money. But after leaving the hospital, we didn’t see anything,” he lamented.

This would be the latest move by victims of the disaster as its three year anniversary approaches.

The former Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuye and two others have been sued over the disaster.

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 aid they had suffered permanent disfigurement and physical incapacitation “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.