Survivors of the tragic June 3 twin disaster at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra converged at the scene of the incident on Thursday, May 31, 2018, ahead of the three years of the incident. The survivors were not there to pay homage to the over 150 lives that were lost but to demand compensation from the government.
Most of the victims who spoke to Prime News Ghana said although about 15 of them received direct sums of GHS10,000 each in the year 2015, the amount have been squandered on medical bills which continue to pile up.
According to them, after the incident took place, a lot of government officials, private organizations, media firms and individuals promised to provide the affected families with some funds but they have still not received any of those, even though they have paid countless visits to them.
Some of the survivors accused these 'donors', including some reputable media houses and organizations of taking advantage of the situation to gather funds for June 3 survivors only to deny them access when they requested for it.
Others claim they have been tossed about for the past three years with no help from government organizations.
A victim (Kassim) who sustained serious burns and a broken skull which has still not been treated after 3 years told Prime News Ghana he was supposed to undergo advanced surgeries, however, his inability to pay bills or even take care of himself is causing a dent on his health.
A queen mother and CEO of Pomaah Nhyira Foundation, Nana Pomah who is currently funding some of the victims' bills pleaded with government, corporate bodies and organizations to come to the aid of the June 3 survivors who are now facing serious economic hardships.
The Assemblyman of the Odawna Area, Mr. Kennah Hendrick who spoke on behalf of the victims requested that, the June 3 survivors are duly compensated since the incident has left them disfigured with no chance to earn a decent living to cater for themselves or their families.
"These victims went through a lot and must be compensated for this. They have hospital bills to pay, some have surgeries to do, others have families to look after... Are we waiting for them to die before we act?", he bemoaned.
Meanwhile, some of the victims of the June 3 fire and flood disaster have sued the Goil Filling Station, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and former Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuye for various acts of negligence.
The plaintiffs numbering 69 are demanding damages of ¢40 million and over 1 million cedis to cater for their hospital and transportation bills.
Background
Over 300 people were directly affected by the tragedy while over 150 lives were lost after which the government declared three days of national mourning.
Apart from the irreplaceable human lives lost, five houses, including the Goil Filling Station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, suffered various degrees of damage valued at GHS1,658,847.00, excluding other properties that suffered minor damages which were not valued.