Soldiers Angry Over Location Of Filling Station in Teshie

Military Personnel at the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Center, (KAIPTEC) at Teshie in the Greater Accra Region are boiling with anger over a location of a filling station which is close to the Family, health Hospital and also directly opposite to the training center. In an interview with the Ghana Palaver, some of the Military personnel who pleaded for anonymity for security reasons wondered why a filling station would be allowed to be constructed behind a health facility, as well as a security zone like KAIPTEC. According to the military personnel, even before the filing station would start full operation, thick smoke was recently spotted at the station and it took some hours before the raging fire was quenched by some military personnel present. They revealed that, the smoke generated fear and panic in the area to the extent that patients visiting the Family Health Hospital at that time had to run for their lives. They further explained that the KAIPTC does not only cater for military personnel from Ghana but also those from abroad who undertake and deliver research and training programs, which contribute to global peacekeeping operations. �Why should there be a situation where the lives of Military personnel from other countries including the indigenes would be in danger because of somebody�s financial interest,� they asked. The military personnel are therefore calling on the Ministry of Science and Environment to intervene and stop the operation of the filling station as the Environmental Protection Agency has shown no interest in dealing with the matter. �It is also a known fact that people�s lives could be in danger when they visit health facilities that are close to petroleum products and here is a situation where a filling station has been situated close to the Family Health Hospital,� they said. The military personnel said, the closure of the filling station is therefore imperative because, apart from the residents of Teshie and other individuals that patronize the health facility, trainees, trainers and workers of the KAIPTEC also attend the facility.