Fire Service defends failure to brief the Rawlingses on inferno report

The Fire Service has justified its failure to furnish former president Rawlings and his wife with a copy of the report on an inferno which razed down their residence.
The Valentine’s Day fire completely destroyed the former first couple’s Ridge building.
Aid to Mr Rawlings is demanding an apology from the Ghana National Fire Service for going public with the outcome of its investigations when the former first couple had not been given a copy of the final report.
The Fire Service’s investigation could not establish the cause of the fire which was earlier blamed on faulty electrical wiring.
Kofi Adams says it is unacceptable that officials of the Fire Service chose to go public with the outcome of investigations when the Rawlingses had not seen a copy of the report.

“We are an interested party to these investigations and some of the persons who were questioned included the household of the former president and staff. And so if any findings have come out we have to be in the know. I don’t think that it is right and fair for us to be hearing reports first from the media so I am first and foremost having a difficulty in commenting on this matter,” he told Joy News’ Evans Mensah.

However, the Director of Public Affairs at the Fire Service Headquarters, Samuel Sowah Oblejumah, has defended the decision not to brief the former first couple on the outcome of its investigations.
According to him, the service only reports to the “appropriate authorities” after such investigations.
Victims can then apply for copies of the report from the service.
“We’ve done our work as required of us professionals,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Adams says the former president would respond to the developments at the appropriate time.

Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana