Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse, Dr. Akwada said the incident exposes the absence of a functioning accountability system in the country, where negligence leading to loss of lives often goes unpunished.

“As we speak now, as a country, we have not been able to protect the lives of the vulnerable in society. We are looking at an 11-year-old who has passed on because of someone’s negligence. Where is our system of accountability?” he asked.

He criticised the repetitive pattern of official rhetoric that follows such tragedies without concrete action or accountability.

“We lack a proper system of accountability, so when such things happen, all we get from authorities is rhetoric. Nobody gets held responsible for anything,” he stated.

Dr. Akwada also questioned why, in 2025, authorities still struggle to monitor and regulate communities living along the Volta Lake and other inland waterways.

Calling for firm leadership, Dr. Akwada urged the Minister of Transport to take responsibility and provide answers on measures being taken to improve transport safety on Ghana’s waters.

He further called for a chain of accountability from the Transport Ministry through the Ghana Maritime Authority, District Chief Executives (DCEs), and local community representatives, including NADMO, to ensure proper oversight and safety on inland waterways.

“I will first of all go for the head of the Minister of Transport. He should be answering why he has been in office all these months and we have not seen anything regarding transport safety on our waters,” he said.

Meanwhile, authorities, including the Ghana Maritime Authority and the Ghana Navy, have launched a joint investigation into the cause of the accident.

The Ghana Maritime Authority has also reiterated the urgent need for stronger enforcement powers to ensure compliance with safety standards on the country’s water bodies.

Source: Emma Ankrah

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The fatal crash claimed the lives of several high-ranking officials, including the Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, and the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Others onboard included top national security officials and Ghana Armed Forces crew members.

In a statement released on Thursday, August 7, the BPS described the incident as a national tragedy and urged the government and the military to adopt international standards in investigating the cause of the crash.

The group recommended going beyond internal reviews to embrace international best practices, including the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Annex 13 guidelines, which are globally recognised for civil aviation accident investigations.

“The tragedy calls not only for empathy but for a credible, evidence-based investigation and transparent communication,” the BPS stated.

The Bureau emphasized that principles such as impartiality, thorough analysis, and public accountability are just as critical in military cases as they are in civilian incidents.

It called on the government to release a preliminary report within 30 days, provide regular progress updates, and clearly communicate the makeup of the investigation team.

Additionally, the BPS cautioned against public speculation, stressing that premature conclusions could distort facts and erode trust in the investigation.

The organisation also urged investigators to address key questions publicly, including the helicopter’s mission, its maintenance history, the crew’s training and readiness, and any communications made before the crash. It further encouraged the government to share its procedures for supporting the families of the victims.

“This is a moment that calls for national unity, truth, and action,” the statement read. “The lessons we draw from this tragedy must lead to stronger safety systems and greater accountability in both military and civilian operations.”

The Ghana Armed Forces is expected to lead the official investigation, while the nation continues to mourn the fallen. National flags have been ordered to fly at half-mast, with funeral details to be announced in the coming days.

Source: Adomonline.com

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These amendments expand speed limit exemptions and other permissions to include all members of Parliament and ministers of state on our roads.

The regulations cover roads around schools, residential areas, hospital zones, parks, and recreational areas, among others. Additionally, the amendment permits the installation of sirens and alarms on their vehicles for official use.

In a press release dated July 14, the BPS stated that the amendment raises “significant concerns for the safety, equality, and accountability of our roadways and governance.”

It stated that “For public safety, the existing exemptions were already a deep concern to the BPS, as there were no precedents for such wide exemptions in any advanced jurisdiction. Speed limits are established based on thorough research to ensure the safety of all individuals on the road. Allowing more road users to exceed speed limits endangers not only their lives but also the lives of all road users.”

“Furthermore, these exemptions create unnecessary risks and could lead to an increase in traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities. In Ghana today, speeding is the leading cause of road crashes, resulting in more than 2,000 deaths and over 15,000 injuries annually since 2009. Therefore, to create a further exemption is an indication of a lack of proper appreciation of our situation and inconsiderate of the numerous lives that we have lost on our roads over the years.”

The statement noted that allowing public officeholders to use sirens, alarms, and strobe lights could lead to confusion and potential delays in genuine emergency responses, ultimately compromising public safety. It further mentioned that many private citizens have already illegally installed law enforcement strobe lights on their vehicles to gain undue privileges on our roads, exacerbating indiscipline and chaos.

“The police have not yet been able to address this illegality. Adding to the numbers will greatly affect road safety and discipline. Furthermore, this introduction of alarms, sirens, and strobe lights on vehicles of public officeholders is likely to be perceived as an abuse of power. It risks eroding public trust in our elected officials, who are expected to serve as role models and adhere to the same rules and standards as the citizens they represent.”

BPS noted that the amendment grants undue privileges to Ministers of state and Members of Parliament, fostering a culture of inequality and abuse of privilege.

“It said that citizens, regardless of their position, should adhere to the same traffic regulations. Exemptions should be limited to the Presidency alone.”

The statement referenced best practices in civilized and advanced jurisdictions. It noted that in their opinion and based on these best practices, exemptions from speed limits should be strictly limited to the presidency and emergency institutions.

The statement further explained that such exemptions are justifiable only when adhering to speed limits would hinder their critical purposes.

“Broadening these exemptions to include other public officeholders is unnecessary and counterproductive. The use of sirens and strobe lights should be reserved exclusively for emergency services such as police, fire, and medical response teams. Consequently, the BPS calls upon the transport minister to withdraw the bill from Parliament with immediate effect and cause the wide exemptions and permissions to be expunged before relaying it”.

BPS called on the National Road Safety Authority, to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to curb the increasing use of illegal sirens on motor vehicles in the country.

“Furthermore, we urge the government to prioritize policies that enhance public safety, maintain equality, and uphold the integrity of our governance. Public office holders must lead by example, demonstrating a commitment to the rule of law, equality, and the safety of all citizens.”

The tragic incident that occurred on Sunday, September 10 resulted in the unfortunate loss of four lives, with numerous others sustaining varying degrees of injuries.

In an interview with Citi News, the Executive Director of the Bureau of Public Safety, Nana Yaw Akwada,  underscored the need to hold those responsible for the unfortunate incident accountable through legal means.

“Looking at the extent of destruction and the fact that lives have been lost, we should be looking beyond administrative sanctions of persons whose act of commission or omission may have led to this incident in less than two years after Appiate.

“Criminal prosecutions must be pressed against such persons at all costs, and people must come to the realisation that willful negligence or inaction that leads to fatal workplace incidents is criminal and must be sanctioned as such” he stated.

Nana Yaw Akwada further called for an impartial evaluation of safety measures at all mining sites nationwide to ensure enhanced safety standards are in place.

“I will also recommend an immediate independent reassessment to be conducted across all mining sites nationwide with respect to the manufacturing, transportation, storage, and use of explosive materials, and I believe that if we take this step, we can certainly make some good strides in today’s occurrences within the mining sector” he added.

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A statement, signed by Executive Director, Nana Yaw Akwada, has expressed shock at the action of the police.

According to the Bureau, similar incidents in the recent past only send fear down its spine as the suspects may be innocent.

“With great distress, we acknowledge the possibility that the five individuals may have fallen victim to what appears to be an unjustified use of force.

“This is deeply troubling and goes against our constitution’s justice and fair treatment principles,” the statement read in parts.

The shootout the Police said led to the injury of five of the suspects said to be land guards while others fled and are still on the run.

The five were, however, later pronounced dead at the hospital.

But BPS has said a thorough investigation not only will restore trust and confidence of the public in law but also shed light on the truth and enable necessary actions to be taken to prevent the further recurrence of such distressing events.

Meanwhile, the police have urged the cooperation of the general public to help in taking immediate action.

“The public, particularly residents of Bortianor should be on the lookout and promptly report any individuals with gunshot wounds who may be seeking medical treatment,” the Police urged in a statement.

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The report broadly categorized public safety issues into ten categories – crime, violent crime, fires-related incidents (industrial or workplace), transportation-related incidents, civil disturbances and police officer casualties.

Others captured were police brutalities, police arrests, natural disasters and general incidents.

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In the report dubbed Ghana Public Safety and Crime Report (BPS Watch) 2019, transportation-related incidents accounted for the majority of deaths and injuries recorded in Ghana.

The report which focused on data from January 1 to December 31, 2019 also revealed that over 900 casualties were recorded in 2019, representing 45% of all casualties.

It also took into consideration the casualties that occurred under each case by recording injuries and deaths where they arose including weekends and public holidays.

Read the full report below:

The BPS made the commendation via a statement it released on Monday, saying the batch of service vehicles in reference were the best by far to be imported into the country hence there was the need for necessary steps to ensure that citizens derived the best of use from them.

The statement which was signed by the Executive Director of BPS, Nana Yaw Akwada, said: The National Ambulance Service and it’s Executive Director must be commended for intervening, albeit late in such a “hot political potato throw about” and seeking what is professionally acceptable and best.

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It has also called on the NAS to further dig deeper into issues of everyday running cost for fuel and maintenance.

The statement finally urged the NAS to further seek utmost clarity and preparedness of recipient constituencies on where the service vehicles would be stationed to ensure efficient deployment upon distribution.

The Bureau of Public Safety has rejected the government’s claim of foiled attempt to destabilise the country.

Describing the government’s release as worrying and disappointing, the Bureau of Public Safety said the release on the attempted coup is rather a recipe for similar thoughts.

A joint security operation last Friday led to the arrest of three people and seizure of several weapons, a government statement said.

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One of those arrested included a local arms manufacturer.

The operation came after “15 months of surveillance and gathering of evidence on the activities of the prime suspects and others.”

But, Executive Director of the Bureau of Public Safety, Nana Yaw Akwada, believes the communication on the issue was poor and does not assure public safety as more questions remain unanswered.

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“I don’t see this as a serious thing and I say that because we have over 1.3 million arms in this country and it’s already a serious cause for concern and so when you come out with just two or three arms, you don’t expect us to clap for you. I think the communication is very poor and we need more answers from the government.

“Our worry is that this particular coup has the potential to rather energise people of bad mind to start working towards a thing like this,” he said on Accra based Neat FM, monitored by Adomonline.com.

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He said “the need for security agencies to clamp down on the proliferation of arms in Ghana cannot be overemphasised and, thus, must be an ongoing concern to assure public safety and security.”

Mr Akwada urged the State security managers and political authority to collaborate responsibly on sensitive matters such as this in future.

Listen to audio above:

Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy