The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, through the Minerals Commission, has closed down another company linked to the haulage of the explosives that got detonated at Appiatse in the Prestea-Huni-Valley Municipality in the Western Region last Thursday, wiping out an entire community.
JOYDERK Logistics Ltd has been identified as the company that was contracted to haul the explosives.
On the company’s premises at Biahu in the Ahanta West municipality about 3 p.m. yesterday, an official of the commission served officials of JOYDERK the Prohibition Notice or Stop Work Order, directing them to halt every activity within the yard until further notice.
The Western Regional Head of the Inspectorate Unit of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Joseph Frimpong, after signing his part, handed over the Prohibition Notice to the Chief Operations Officer, Ms. Abigail Ocancy, to post on the premises of Joyderk.
This brings to two the number of companies that have been closed down for now, with Maxam Ghana, a Ghanaian-Spanish joint registered company, being the first to be closed down over the weekend as part of the investigations into the tragedy.
Confirming the closure of JOYDERK to the Daily Graphic, Mr. Frimpong said officers of the commission would be at hand to ensure that the company did not continue operations as directed until the investigations had been completed and its fate determined.
“We are issuing the Prohibition Notice to JOYDERK Logistics and directing that the company halt its operations immediately to enable the commission to carry out its investigations. The company’s operations and premises must remain closed until further notice,” he said.
Safety procedure
In order to cover every aspect of the investigation, per the law, the commission had to extend the same Prohibition Notice to the company that issued out the truck, Mr. Frimpong said.
He said there were laid down rules on transporting explosives, so after the closure of the company, “we are going to check if the owners of the truck also followed the laid down regulations when it comes to the transportation of such products”.
“By going through the procedure, we are not pronouncing the companies involved and whose operations have been suspended guilty. They are to halt their operations until we issue further directives.
“The investigations are still going on and we would like to assure the nation that no stone will be left unturned in our inquiry to ensure that the outcome is acceptable to all,” he stressed.
Professionalism
“We the mine inspectors at the commission who are professionally trained to work on explosives and any associated issues will do everything possible to make sure that we unravel the circumstances that led to that explosion.
“We are committed to the cause and will do the right thing and put in place the necessary measures to make sure that the country does not experience that again,” Mr. Frimpong assured Ghanaians.
Maxam, LI mandates
Last Saturday, the Western Regional Manager of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Isaac Mwinbelle, issued and served the Maxam Company within the concession of AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mines with the notice to close down, albeit temporarily.
The action was taken based on Regulation Two (2) of the Minerals and Mining Explosives Regulations, 2012 (LI 2177).
“The shutting down of the company forms part of the Minerals and Mining Regulations LI 2182, which looks at health and safety regulations,” he said.
He said the LI mandated the commission to act where it thought there could be further harm caused as a result of the operation, and the inspector had the authority to close down the site.
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SOURCE: GRAPHIC ONLINE
