GWCL accuses GNFS For Selling Water from the Hydrants Meant for fighting fire
Ghana Water Company Limited refute claims by the Ghana National Fire Service inability to fight the fire outbreak at Makola Market.
Joana Somiah 
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has debunked allegations by the Ghana National Fire Service(GNFS) the company is to blame for GNFS’s inability to fight the fire outbreak at Makola Market in the Greater Accra Regional a few days ago.
Addressing a crowded press conference in Accra on Thursday, July 8, 2021, the Greater Accra Regional Chief Manager of GWCL, Ing. Emmanuel Johnson accused the officials of the GNFS of selling water from the hydrants meant for fighting the fire to the public and cautioned the top mangers to stop their continuous habit to apportion blame at GWCL for the Makola inferno.
“GWCL had several arrangements with GNFS and has questioned them from fetching water from the hydrants and selling to the public”, Ing. Johnson emphasized.
The Regional Manager also refuted allegations by the GNFS that the fire hydrants in the region have been sealed adding that “all the hydrants are working and available”.
He also indicated that in 2018 when there was a fire, they requested GNFS to conduct an audit of all fire hydrants but they (GNFS) failed to honour the request.
“The Fire Service must rather check their standard operating procedure ie checking the fire hydrant to know whether they are functioning or not”, Ing Johnson stressed.
He, therefore, entreated the GNFS to stop the blame game and shoulder the responsibility for their shortfalls rather than shifting it on GWCL which he said has made water available in all the hydrants.
“On the 5th of July 2021, when the building at Makola was on fire, GWCL was surprised to see Fire Tenders of the GNFS trooping into the Accra East regional office to fetch water to combat the fire; when there was water flowing within the whole central business district and the fire hydrants were all in good condition”, Ing. Johnson stressed.
For his part, the Communications Manager of GWCL, Mr Stanley Martey gave a pre-ample added that “even people from their own office volunteer to give us information that they are abusing the water.”
Present at the Press Conference were Ing. Dr Clifford Abdella who is the MD of GWCL, Mrs Salomey Tom who is the Accra central district manager.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater Accra Regional Correspondent
