Parliament on Tuesday began official sitting with a tribute paid victims of the fatal accident that occurred at Ampomakrom in the Kintampo South Constituency of the Bono East Region.
But before the Member of Parliament of that constituency was allowed to pay her tribute by way of a statement on the floor, the Speaker, Reverend Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, expressed unhappiness with media reports that the legislative arm of government snubbed the victims of the twin road accidents to rather pay respect to victims of March 15’s terrorist attack in New Zealand and Cyclone Idai in south African countries of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi.
The respect for the victims of the terrorist attack and the cyclone disaster was paid on Monday, March 25 at the start of official work with a minute’s observed after Offinso South MP Ben Abdallah Banda read a statement.
But Speaker Oquaye noted that Gifty Adjei, the MP for Kintampo South Constituency, had been emotionally hit by the accident on Friday and even had to step out of proceedings though she was to make a statement for the accident victims.
The former MP for Dome-Kwabenya explained that there was a unanimous agreement by both sides of the House that she makes a statement to pay tribute to the victims.
“And in any case, normally we had started work on Tuesday anyway,” he said to play down whatever was done in the House on Monday, March 25.
“So we would want the public to also publish this as a way of reflecting the truth on the matter.”
Meanwhile, reading her statement on the floor, Ms Adjei said she had visited the accident scene over the weekend with colleague MPs Kwesi Etu-Bonde of Kintampo North and Albert Alalzuuga of Garu.
She demanded of government to take immediate steps to ensure that accidents are minimized in the country.
“We in the Minority believe that this particular accident is a national tragedy,” the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP noted, “and government must treat it as such beyond rhetoric such as holding a national memorial service across the entire country for the victims of the accident ad also declaring at least three days of national mourning for the victims.”
The accident on Friday involved a VVIP bus with registration number GT 3915-17 and a KIA Granbird bus with registration number GT 5694-18.
There were 22 survivors, who were taken to the Jema District Hospital, Kintampo Municipal Hospital and Techiman Municipal Hospital for treatment.
Most of the dead were burnt beyond recognition.
A mass burial was given these victims.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana