Disaster Funds Allow Officials Responsible For Causing Deaths Or Injuries To Invade Responsibility - Kwame Akuffo

A Private Legal practitioner, Lawyer Kwame Akuffo is of the view that the creation of disaster funds by either government or individuals are setting officials responsible for the disasters free from facing the full rigor of the law.

Inasmuch as he is in support of the disaster funds, he asserted it does not compensate the victims and the bereaved families adequately but rather covers up for the officials or individuals who caused the disaster.

Speaking on Okay Fm’s "Ade Akye Abia" Morning Show, Lawyer Akuffo recounted how inefficient the Stadium Disaster Fund set up in Ex-president Kufuor’s era has become, as the police officers whose negligence caused the disaster are off the hook of the law.

He again said that the disaster fund set up by the Mahama government to take care of medical bills of the victims is not enough compensation because what becomes of the families of the deceased who are probably the bread winners of their families.

“In this country when something happens and people die or are wounded, what you hear is to set up disaster fund...this allows people who are responsible for the death of the individuals to invade responsibility,” he bemoaned.

He added that “with this disaster fund, it makes it difficult and unfair to share the funds equally to the families of the deceased who probably earned income than other deceased,” insisting that “this is something we have to follow in court to punish the government so that proper monies will be paid to the families”.

“The deceased persons need requisite compensation and the issue must be taken to court for that to be done but it does not happen and when it comes to sharing of the disaster fund, there is no proper accountability of it,” he asserted.

He was of the view that since Goil Company is insured, there should be means for the victims and the bereaved families to be adequately compensated and make sure a person or persons whose negligence caused the fire and the flood are made to be punished.

He abhorred the way dead bodies from disasters are handled, saying that exposing dead bodies in the trunk of vehicles is abused of their rights. He added there should be a directive by the government to enforce the hospitals to create DNA database to determine the identity of the deceased for their family members and stop the mass burial during disasters.