Press Secretary to the Vice President, Maame Ama Pratt, has stated that no amount of compensation can adequately make up for the lives lost during the June 3 flood disaster, as discussions continue over demands by victims and families pursuing legal action years after the tragedy.
Speaking on the matter, Maame Ama Pratt described the issue of compensation as deeply emotional and difficult, stressing that human life cannot be measured financially under any circumstance.
According to her, conversations surrounding compensation remain sensitive because no payment can truly heal the pain suffered by families who lost loved ones during the disaster.
“For me, it’s very moot. The truth is that how much compensation can be given for the loss of life? There’s no amount of money under any circumstance that anybody could consider adequate, so for me, that conversation is up in the air. If I were in that position, would I like to hear that? Absolutely not”
The June 3 disaster, which occurred in 2015 after heavy flooding in parts of Accra triggered an explosion at a fuel station, claimed more than 150 lives and left several others injured and displaced.
Maame Ama Pratt noted that the tragedy could have happened to anyone, describing the incident as unfortunate and painful for the entire country.
“There’s something that could have happened to any one of us. It’s unfortunate, really,” she said.
She further acknowledged that over the years, different administrations and institutions have attempted to address some of the structural and environmental issues that contributed to the disaster.
According to her, recent efforts by the current administration to decongest parts of the capital, demolish unauthorized structures, and improve drainage systems form part of measures aimed at preventing similar tragedies.
She explained that while some people supported demolition exercises and decongestion efforts, others criticised such actions on humanitarian grounds, making the issue more complex.
“We could sit here and talk compensation. We could sit here and plan enough. Everybody has tried to do something. In some instances, there have been demolitions. Some of us applauded, while others came at us with the humanity and human face argument.”
Despite ongoing debates about accountability and compensation, Maame Ama Pratt insisted that responsibility for preventing disasters must also be shared by citizens and communities.
“We could speak about everything that could have been done better. We could try to lay blame. But I insist that this is one of those issues where a chunk of the responsibility comes back to us as people who live in this community.”
Her comments come as survivors and families affected by the June 3 tragedy continue to demand justice, accountability, and adequate state support over a decade after the incident.
The June 3 disaster remains one of Ghana’s deadliest national tragedies and continues to spark conversations about urban planning, sanitation, drainage systems, disaster preparedness, and public safety.
Source: Newspyramid.com
