Samson Anyenini and OneGhana Movement renew calls for compensation for June 3 victims – Nsemkeka
Samson Lardy Anyenini and the OneGhana Movement have intensified calls for compensation for the victims of the June 3, 2015 disaster, one of Ghana’s most devastating national tragedies.
The incident occurred when torrential rains caused severe flooding at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.
The floodwaters mixed with leaking fuel from a nearby GOIL petrol station, triggering a catastrophic explosion that claimed over 150 lives and injured many others.
The OneGhana Movement, led by Senyo Hosi, has been at the forefront of annual commemorations of the tragedy and has initiated legal proceedings to seek justice and financial redress for the victims.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Wednesday, June 5, Samson Lardy Anyenini, the legal representative for the victims, reiterated a compensation demand of GH¢ 42 million, emphasising that many survivors continue to require medical treatment and support even after a decade.
Anyenini disclosed that while the government initially settled medical bills and funeral costs for those who died, no further compensation has been forthcoming, despite the enduring physical and economic hardships faced by survivors.
“We are in court because the victims—154 identified dead and 154 seriously injured—still suffer permanent disfigurements to their faces, arms, legs, and stomachs,” he said.
“Some are invalids, unable to work or fend for themselves. When we began the process to secure assistance, we encountered resistance because the state was not forthcoming after paying medical and funeral expenses.”
He also criticised the government’s failure to implement the recommendations from the 2015 disaster committee report aimed at preventing a recurrence.
“The report contains solutions to prevent such tragedies, yet today, I ask myself which parts have been acted upon by the state or local authorities. I doubt any measures have been fully adopted. We hope that, eventually, responsible agencies will recognise that negligence has consequences.”
The lawsuit has been filed against several entities, including the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), which owns and manages the GOIL station at Circle, the station’s manager Thompson Obeng Anane, GOIL itself, and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).