In June 2015, we witnessed a terrible tragedy that should not have happened and could have been easily prevented - a gas explosion at a filling station in Circle during a rainstorm which took the life of dozens of people. 

Two years and four months later, we are witnessing the same incident occur at a filling station on the Atomic Junction road. Not forgetting the explosion at the filling station at Labadi earlier this year. Ironically, I find it hard to keep up with which filling stations these were because Total, Goil, Shell, Allied Oil, OandO, and their cohorts are strewn all over the place.

Why is this happening? Do we have a regulatory body which inspects these filling stations? Are inspections done, and if they are how often? Does the regulatory body approve locations before these filling stations go up? Or does corruption run so high up that no one cares about the fact that we are building and sitting on a ticking time bomb? Actually bombs which go off at random moments because no one cares about the lives of Ghanaians?

The explosion on the night of 7th October,2017 occurred at a busy road in close proximity to a senior high school, hostels which house students of the premier university and eateries. There also happen to be a taxi rank and more filling stations in that area.

We are aware that some of you law makers own some of these filling stations but for once, have some shame and decency and set up rules and regulations for safer filling stations away from businesses, schools and residential areas. Are you waiting till it is your family or friend who gets caught up in such an explosion or your own filling station which goes up in flames to make a change?

The action taken after the June 3rd incident was appalling. Be better and do better. We are living in a death trap and no one, not even you, is safe.

All we are demanding are:

- The regulatory bodies in charge of inspecting and approving permits of proposed locations for filling stations, at least 50 meters away from residences and 100 meters from schools and hospitals need to enforce these rules.

- We honestly do not need 5 filling stations in a neighbourhood. Shut down the excess filling stations and keep them closed.

The Osu filling stations in close proximity to schools, hospitals, businesses and homes; the American House Shell filling stations which is right by offices and many more to count in the country are all disasters waiting to happen and the time to act is now.