The Minirals Commission has described as erroneous a Facebook post by Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and shared on several online platforms depicting trucks with the inscription “Danger Explosives” that were ‘supposedly transporting explosives without police escorts.
According to the Commission, the said photograph was taken only after the trucks, in the company of the police escorts, had delivered its charges at the mining site of Perseus Mining Ghana Limited (Perseus) in Ayanfuri.
A statement by the Commission and signed Mr. John Amoanyi, Acting Chief Inspector of Mines/Explosives said on 16th February 2022, the Operations Manager of Solar Nitro Ghana Limited (Solar Nitro) notified and requested the approval of the Western Regional Manager of Mines of the Commission to transport explosives from the operation site of Solar Nitro to the mining site of Perseus Mining Ghana Limited (Perseus) in Ayanfuri on Thursday, February 17, 2022.
Solar Nitro, he said, has been registered as a mine support service company to deal in explosives and has also been issued with all the requisite permits and approvals by the Chief Inspector of Mines/Explosives to transport explosives.
“A Principal Inspector of Mines from the Takoradi office of the Commission was assigned by the Regional Manager to carry out all the necessary inspections pursuant to the Minerals and Mining (Explosives) Regulations, 2021 (L.I. 2177) and also as set in the new safety measures recently issued by the Acting Chief Inspector of Mines/Explosives to all mining, explosives, quarries and other related mining companies.”
“On February 17, 2022, around 09:15am, the Principal Inspector of Mines was at the operational site of Solar Nitro to conduct all the necessary safety inspections and verifications,” he said.
According to him, there were two trucks with registration numbers GT 1821-14 and WR 1301-18 that were on the site to convey the explosives to Perseus Mining Ghana Limited.
The Principal Inspector of Mines, he said, after being satisfied that all the requisite safety protocols and all other regulatory requirements pursuant to L.I. 2177 have been met (including but not limited to the presence of two police escorts, a competent person onboard, explosives trucks registered and fit for purpose), allowed the trucks and the escorts to leave the site of Solar Nitro.
Mr. Amoanyi stated that the explosives were delivered to the mine site of Perseus and the trucks returned to the operational site of Solar Nitro without the police escorts and there were no explosives onboard.
He said, “This was apparently captured and circulated as the trucks that were carrying explosives without escorts,” he added.
He indicated that following the Appiatse explosion on January 20, 2022, 14 new safety measures have been introduced to strengthen the existing regulations and protocols for the transportation of explosives and most importantly to protect the health and safety of the public as well as the environment.
He assured the media that the Commission is available to provide information on all mining activities or operations in Ghana and urged the public to seek clarification or verify such information with the Commission before they are made public.
Source: MyPublisher24.com