The Director of Business Development at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Yaw Konu, has announced the launch of a nationwide safety campaign aimed at preventing fatalities at fuel tanker accident scenes.
Speaking at the Africa Extractives Media Fellowship training session in Accra on Wednesday, February 18, Mr. Konu said the campaign, dubbed “Stay Back, Stay Safe,” seeks to discourage members of the public from rushing to accident scenes involving trucks carrying petroleum products.
According to him, the NPA has observed with concern the growing tendency of people gathering around overturned or damaged fuel tankers to siphon petroleum products, exposing themselves to deadly explosions and fires.
“The NPA is launching a campaign which is Stay Back, Stay Safe,” he said. “When a truck carrying petroleum products is involved in an accident, we plead with citizens to stay back from the truck. Don’t go near the tanker.”
He stressed that no amount of fuel collected from an accident scene is worth risking a life.
“Your life is more important than the little product you are going to siphon from the truck,” he stated. “Don’t be in a rush to go to a full tanker accident scene in the name of siphoning one gallon. Your life is more important than one gallon.”
Mr Konu urged the public to allow accredited emergency agencies to handle such situations, including the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Police Service.
He emphasised that trained personnel are better equipped to secure accident scenes, prevent explosions and manage fuel spillages safely.
The campaign will use public education and awareness drives to reinforce the message that safety must come first during petroleum-related accidents.
Mr Konu appealed directly to citizens to prioritise their lives over material gain.
“Please stay back and stay alive,” he said. “Your life is much more important to this country.”
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