Gradually, it appears the laws of this country are being made to work, especially in certain areas which have, over a long period, enjoyed the “untouchable status” when it comes to the enforcement of the law.
On Monday, The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology directed telecommunication operator MTN to immediately stop, until further notice construction work on its switchboard station at Chabba-Odorkor in Accra.
The directive, according to reports, followed MTN’s failure to comply with an earlier directive by the Ministry to hold the construction because of the health hazard it would pose to residents of the area.
Not only that; a report from the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) to the ministry indicated “gross non-co-operation on the part of MTN Ghana Limited, thereby frustrating attempts to conduct radiation tests on the site.”
The Ghanaian Times finds the conduct of MTN, as stated by both the Ministry and the GAEC, as highly unacceptable, more especially when they (MTN) were fully aware of a directive to the communication operators in the country to obtain the necessary environmental permits before installing communication equipment.
This directive was not given out of nothing.
It was issued because of a series of petitions the public sent to the ministry, relative to the indiscriminate and authorised installation of communication masts and other accessories.
Having been in the business for a long period, MTN cannot claim to be unaware of the danger such installations pose to the health of the people.
And why was it not cooperating with the GAEC’s attempt to conduct radiation tests on the site? Or was it a show of muscle flexing?
We commend the ministry, for its prompt action, in evoking the Environmental Protection Act 1994-490 to stop this blatant show of whatever.
Sure, Ghana as a developing country, welcomes investors and this successive governments, have made it clear to the international community.
But Ghanaians also expect people who come here to make money, not to disregard our laws and regulations, no matter their strength and the amount of wealth they command.
We shall return to this subject.
On Monday, The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology directed telecommunication operator MTN to immediately stop, until further notice construction work on its switchboard station at Chabba-Odorkor in Accra.
The directive, according to reports, followed MTN’s failure to comply with an earlier directive by the Ministry to hold the construction because of the health hazard it would pose to residents of the area.
Not only that; a report from the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) to the ministry indicated “gross non-co-operation on the part of MTN Ghana Limited, thereby frustrating attempts to conduct radiation tests on the site.”
The Ghanaian Times finds the conduct of MTN, as stated by both the Ministry and the GAEC, as highly unacceptable, more especially when they (MTN) were fully aware of a directive to the communication operators in the country to obtain the necessary environmental permits before installing communication equipment.
This directive was not given out of nothing.
It was issued because of a series of petitions the public sent to the ministry, relative to the indiscriminate and authorised installation of communication masts and other accessories.
Having been in the business for a long period, MTN cannot claim to be unaware of the danger such installations pose to the health of the people.
And why was it not cooperating with the GAEC’s attempt to conduct radiation tests on the site? Or was it a show of muscle flexing?
We commend the ministry, for its prompt action, in evoking the Environmental Protection Act 1994-490 to stop this blatant show of whatever.
Sure, Ghana as a developing country, welcomes investors and this successive governments, have made it clear to the international community.
But Ghanaians also expect people who come here to make money, not to disregard our laws and regulations, no matter their strength and the amount of wealth they command.
We shall return to this subject.
