TALKING DRUM: When I read about Yarnell Hill Fire

The fire rapidly raged, destroying lives & properties

According to the Arizona Republic, news media, “it is the worst firefighting tragedy ever in Arizona [US], eclipsing the 1990 Dude Fire near Payson, which claimed six firefight­ers. 

“It was the worst wild-land firefight­ing tragedy in US history since 25 [people] were killed in the Griffith Park Fire in Los Angeles in 1933.”

Indeed, the uncontrollable fire that caught up with the hamlet of about 500 homes had most of these homes reduced to billowing smokes. The town, on a hill, named Yarnell will forever mourn this day as the fire began early Friday evening, and by Sunday the fire had spread to more than 2,000 acres. But that was not all. The Yarnell Hill Fire, as it razed down properties, had also claimed the precious lives of some 19 wild-land firefighters.

This was the story that won the Arizona Republic news the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for ‘Breaking News’ reporting. However sad the Yarnell Hill Fire read, I got marveled because “as the Yarnell Hill Fire continued to rage uncontrolled, Arizona officials launched an investigation to find out how a fast, erratic wildfire killed 19 Prescott Hotshot firefighters and whether the tragedy could have been averted.”

Certainly, what pertains in my country, Ghana, is a direct opposite to what happened in Arizona on June 30, 2013. In Arizona were serious minds at play as the then officials there did not wait for the fire to be doused before setting up a committee, invite the media for briefings and then go work in comfort. 

Dean Smith watched as the fire fast approached his home

The investigation was done alongside the dousing of the Yarnell Hill Fire as a set of new firefighters was brought in to help.

On Saturday, April 22, 2017, I was on the campus of the Ghana Institute of Journalism to meet someone I needed to interview for a radio feature. Just as I was done with the interview, my phone buzzed. I could not answer the call. When I called back, the person said she intended breaking the news of Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom’s Regency Hotel Compound catching fire to me. I was shocked.

When I got to the Ghana Immigration Service area, I saw three fire tenders speeding to the said fire scene. A number of people who had gathered around watching the thick dark smoke snaking into the sky were optimistic the fire would be doused with ease considering the alacrity of the firefighters. 

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) had called for reinforcement from the fire department of the Ghana Air Force. However, two hours after their attempt, the fire still showed its prowess that it is a force to reckon with. 

On social media were a barrage of jabs all directed at the Ghana National Fire Service for seemingly failing to douse the fire. For many Ghanaians, the excuse by the fire service that it had had a shortage of water got them crazy. “A whole Ghana National Fire Service always complaining about running out of water is sickening,” I saw a comment on Facebook.

Indeed, I share the sentiments of those who blasted the Ghana National Fire Service. But to a large extent, we as a people must share the blame of this poor performance of the fire service. My argument on Facebook was simple. That, the problems of our country should be shared among the media, politicians and the citizenry in giving the media a sizeable portion.

This is not the first time the Ghana National Fire Service has been hit with shortage of water. So my question is, do the workers of the fire service drink the water meant for the dousing of fires? Planners of our cities were wise enough to have built a number of water hydrants.

But what do we see? Many are the citizens of our land who have built their shops on these water hydrants. Then when there is a fire outbreak and the GNFS does not get to use the hydrants we turn to point accusing fingers. Our attitude as a people is so horrible that if we do not change our ways we will always be tickling ourselves to death. 

A week before the fire outbreak at Dr. Nduom’s offices, there was this news circulating on social media that a gas explosion had occur somewhere at Michel Camp, here in the Greater Accra region. When I called the PRO of the GNFS, Prince Billy Anaglate, he told me he had sent his men to the said location and that he would confirm to me the authenticity of the ‘explosion’ report when he hears from his emissaries.

Later on, the story turned out to be a hoax. Someone had succeeded not only deceiving but fooling public officers. I asked myself, ‘what do people gain from this kind of act?’ The irony here is that, next time, someone might call the GNFS to alert them of a fire and the fireman acting from his past experience will ask him/her ‘are you sure your house is on fire?’

We play too much in this country and the politicians who are supposed to protect us often tend to fail us. And the media that is supposed to put these politicians to checks, at times, forget about their role. Now every issue is publicized that after discussions in the media we hardly get solutions to our problems. 

Today, it is Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom’s business at the mercy of fire. For whose turn it will be tomorrow, only God knows. But, if we are to sit down and reason to reflect the big certificates we have acquired, we can collectively help prevent another misfortune from befalling an innocent person. 

Let us put in place good policies. If it is about making the GNFS, or the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) or any other institution strong, let us do so by putting to work concrete measures. Government must be bold to eject and demolish structures say on water hydrants or on water ways without fearing losing the next election. If it is about non-performing officials, let them be sacked.

The Whiteman is but a human being like us. They just think into the future and make plans to prevent a previous misfortune entangling them again.

The findings into the possible causes of the deaths in the Yarnell Hill Fire among other things said that the demised firefighters were well trained for their job. The fire only caught up with them partly because radio communication between them and their team got interrupted and their exact location at the scene was hard to be determined by the team due to fluctuations in the weather. This disaster they have vowed will not reoccur.

The writer is a broadcast journalist with 3FM 92.7. Views expressed here solely remain his own and not that of his organisation.

Email: nehusthan4@yahoo.com

Twitter: @Aniwaba  

Resurrection YPG donates to the building of Sunyani Prisons’ Chapel

Some of the items donated to the Sunyani Prisons

The Young Peoples’ Guild (YPG) of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Resurrection Congregation in Sunyani, has donated to the building of a chapel for the Sunyani Prisons. 

The donation amounting to over GHC 2, 000 included toiletries, bags of sachet water, medical supplies, bag of maize, second hand clothing and two trips of sand [for the building of the chapel].

This forms part of the church’s social responsibilities in ensuring it goes to the aid of those in need.

Presenting the items on behalf of the Guild, the Resident/District Minister of the church, Rev. Kwadwo Asamoah told the inmates that the items donated to them were just physical and that what they needed the most was to feed their souls with the Word of God.

Rev. Kwadwo Asamoah doing the presentation

He said the inmates should “never lose hope no matter the situation or circumstances that brought you here. Repent, if you have not, and look up to the King of Kings because He is the only one to take you out of this situation.”

Speaking on behalf of the Guild, the group’s President, Kwabena Owusu Munufie told Aniwaba that the visit fulfilled the theme of their youth evangelism programmed dubbed “When the Holy Spirit Moves.” 

ASP Rev. Gideon Ndebugri, who received the items on behalf of the inmates, thanked the Young Peoples’ Guild for their kind gesture and said they came at the time they needed them [items] most particularly the trips of sand for the construction of the chapel. 

“This will go a long way for us to progress in the building of the Sunyani Prisons' Chapel and I pray that other benevolent groups should emulate this example," he said.

TALKING DRUM: KUMACA- When Superstition Met Science

Parents stormed KUMACA for their wards

If anything notable in history could be likened to how parents scrambled for their wards from the campus of the Kumasi Academy [KUMACA], in the Ashanti region, then it is probably how Europe scrabbled for Africa.

These parents stormed the school requesting nothing but one thing. That, authorities allow them take their children to their respective homes.

Indeed, neither the parents nor their wards could stand the agonizing episode of a series of deaths the school was witnessing. First, it was a student who died. Well, man is born to die. So, they grieved and were almost picking themselves up from the painful departure when the death toll went to two. Then to three and four! All in a spate of roughly two weeks. 

At this time, as the media got hold of this news, I could imagine the number of superstitious tales- associated with senior high schools- that the students of the KUMACA would have to endure. During my days at the then Sunyani Secondary School, there were a number of such tales including “Madam Shoe” and “Kabiwe”- to wit, bite and chew.

Hearsay had it that a female teacher fell ill and when she was being rushed to the hospital, one of her shoes fell on campus. This ‘female teacher’ who could not survive the illness would later surface at night, on campus, in search for the left behind pair of shoe. For Kabiwe, it was said to be a creature with the head made of ballfloat. When he meets you at night, on campus, it tells you to have a bite of his head and chew (eat). Refusal of which meant the end of your life. 

These were mere tales of which no single individual on campus testified of ever meeting these spirits. I am sure, however, that even at the mention of Madam Shoe or Kabiwe in my former senior secondary school now will get students shaking as the hand that holds a glass of Akepteshie. So, you see, my imagination for the KUMACA students fearing the supposed spirit causing deaths and, as well, fearing the thought of their departed souls cannot be faulted.

On television, radio, online and in the newspapers were but KUMACA! The pressure on the school authorities this time surpassed that which the Israelites gave to Moses. The media demanded the real cause of the reported deaths. Parents deepened their demand for their wards, too, and the students felt like fish out of water. Then, it was announced that autopsy reports of the dead students would be made public to ascertain the cause of the deaths.

Finally, the day came and the cat was let out of the bag. According to the autopsy reports, the students died of Meningitis.

At a media briefing, Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah said that “There have been several explanations to account for the sad event but I want to assure you that an answer has been found to give meaning to the demise of the students.

“Through the collaborative effort of experts from the Ghana Health Services at the district, regional and national levels together with an experience colleague from the Komfo Anokye teaching hospital and the school of Medical Sciences, we can propose the cause of these deaths as meningitis,” reported 3news.com.

Indeed, the autopsy reports from the St Patrick’s Hospital at Offinso Maase, St. Michael’s Hospital at Pramso, and the KNUST School of Medical Sciences all arrived at the doorstep of meningitis.

Now, tensions seem to have subsided on the campus of the Kumasi Academy. Parents who wished to have their wards home have been granted their request.

At the end of it all, I think there are at least three lessons the nation must learn from the KUMACA’s slideshow of anguish. Self-control, not drawing hasty conclusions and cutting down on superstition.   

Whereas every discerning mind would side with and tolerate to an extent the anger expressed by the students and parents of KUMACA, such frustrations were expressed leaving behind self-control. A peaceful demonstration by the students could have been appreciated much more than they hurling stones and the like at their headmasters’ bungalow. The school also had its fair share of the students’ anger as a number of properties were damaged.

There were a couple of times students of my former senior secondary school either matched to the dining hall’s pantry or to the school authorities to register their displeasure over unpalatable foods or bad happenings in the school. It is true the Sunyani Secondary School did not protest over any series of deaths, we have seen and heard some students burning their schools’ properties to ashes over such petty displeasures as unpalatable foods.

The then headmaster, Mr. Joseph Awuah, taught his students this mastery of self-control. So, when students’ belongings were being stolen from their respective dormitories incessantly he told us one thing. “When you catch the thief bring him/her to me. Ensure you don’t injure him or beat him up [to death]. Just hand them over to authority,” he would say.

As if by design, the students finally caught the thief, also a student, and off he was paraded to the headmaster’s bungalow. Although some tried beating him up, many were those who prevented the thief from being manhandled.

The other lesson we can learn from KUMACA is not to draw conclusions. Drawing hasty conclusions have ruined many institutions. Many a time, we tend to form our own opinion of happenings around us without probing these happenings with hard hitting questions to tease out answers. 

Above all, we do tie these hasty conclusions with superstition that it becomes difficult for us to comprehend issues when we are eventually told the truth. While some said the KUMACA series of deaths were as a result of food poisoning, others believed it was the work of the over blamed witches of Africa.

The KUMACA story tells us, as a nation, that we have no justification to bastardize our forefathers for indulging in superstition. Indeed, we all need an extra classes in scientific studies to shape our thinking.

The writer is a broadcast journalist with 3FM 92.7. Views expressed here solely remain his opinion and not that of his organisation.

Email: nehusthan4@yahoo.com

Twitter: @Aniwaba