GNFS forms c’ttee to investigate assault on Dero FM staff

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has set up a committee to investigate the alleged assault on staff of Dero FM, a local radio station, in the Bono East Region, by six firemen.

The committee,headed by the Director of Operations of GNFS, Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) Afful Manu, include the Director Welfare and the Public Affairs Department, Divisional Officer Grade II Ellis Okoe Robinson, Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.

He said the committee had been set up to look into the issue and present a report as soon as possible for further action.

DO II Robinson said the GNFS representatives had met with representatives of the Ghana Journalists Association in the region and the management of the FM station on the issue.

It would be recalled that, the Ghanaian Times in its April 3, edition reported that about six Fire Service personnel stationed at Nkoranza in the Bono East Region, stormed the local radio station and physically assaulted seven of its staff and vandalised studio equipment, including microphones and consul.

The assault followed an alleged April Fool’s Day prank about an accident at Donkro-Nkwanta, a town in the Nkoranza South Municipality.

Francis Kwame Boateng, the programme manager of the station, who is also the morning show host, in an interview, said the station received an SOS call from a resident of Donkro-Nkwanta informing them about a motor accident in the area, and a rescue team from the Fire Service was needed to save the victims.

He said a colleague at the station quickly called the Fire Service to inform them about the said motor accident, but the firemen rushed to the scene only to realise that they had been misled.

This infuriated them and they stormed the FM station, to deal ruthlessly with the informants

BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI