Tarkwa (W/R), Jan 23, GNA-Minerals Commission has ordered Maxam Ghana Limited, a Mines support service company in Tarkwa to cease operations following the explosion at Appiatse in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.
Mr Isaac Mwinbelle, the Western Regional Manager of Minerals Commission, who issued a prohibition notice to the company through the Manager of the site, added that « you are not to carry out any other operations till further notice. »
He pointed out that « even though the accident did not happen at Maxam Ghana Limited site it was from here that the materials were transported before the accident occurred. So we think that it is better to stop the source so that once we put everything in place, then operations will commence ».
The Regional Manager hinted that « The Legislative Instrument (L.I 2177) which is the explosion regulation, indicates that if an inspector has any reason to suspect that some kind of harm or accident can occur from operating any site, we have the mandate to ask them to halt its activities, while we carry out further investigations ».
He added that to ensure Maxam Ghana Limited complied solely to the directives of the Commission, the District officer in Tarkwa had been assigned to the site to monitor closely and ensure all the directives were adhered to.
« So the Manager of the site should remain here and do other remedial work to ensure the safety of whatever you have here and the safety of the public » Mr Mwinbelle said.
He also mentioned that since investigations had just commenced, it would be premature to indicate when Maxam Ghana Limited would begin operations, stressing that, « depending on our investigations, our superiors will decide when the company will resume ».
