Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ing. Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, has expressed deep concern over the rising number of road accidents in the country, revealing that more than 2,500 people lose their lives each year through road carnage.
Speaking at the maiden Inter-Mines First Aid and Safety Competition held in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region, Dr. Ashigbey described the situation as alarming and unacceptable, especially for a country not at war.
He argued that the strict safety standards observed in the mining sector could be replicated on the nation’s roads to help curb accidents.
Dr. Ashigbey further proposed the introduction of road safety quizzes for students and suggested a partnership between mining safety officers and the National Road Safety Authority to intensify education and enforcement.
“It is worrying to lose over 2,500 people in a country not at war within a single year. We must apply the same safety discipline we use in mining on our roads to save lives,” he stressed.
Supporting his call, Ing. Fred Ofosu-Tenkorang, Senior Manager in Mining, explained that the safety competition was designed to raise community awareness about accident prevention.
He noted that mining companies could sponsor nationwide campaigns, including radio and television programmes, to promote road safety.
The Inter-Mines First Aid and Safety Competition brought together various mining communities to showcase best practices in safety, with organisers emphasising the importance of extending such initiatives beyond the mining sector to the wider public.
