Government launches Stadium Disaster Fund

Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, the Majority Leader and Minister for Government Business, on Sunday launched the Stadium Disaster Fund with an initial sum of 40 million cedis donated by Ghana Telecom.

He said that the fund would be used to establish an Endowment Fund to resettle families of the dead, children and the injured.

Mr Mensah launched the fund at an inter-faith service attended by a cross section of society, including the first and second families, MPs, diplomats, families of the victims and the general public.

He said the fund is also to regulate and mobilise the contribution of well-wishers to a common source for proper managing and accountability and urged all who wish to contribute to make such contributions into an account to be opened at all banks nation-wide.

The Majority Leader, who is also the Chairman of the Funeral Committee, said the hospital authorities have completed identification, post-mortem, embalming and any other hospital requirements.

He urged the affected families to contact the hospital authorities to arrange for collection of the bodies latest by June 9, explaining that government would bear mortuary fees and other costs involved within the period.

Mr Mensah said the long period of four weeks is to enable the families arrange befitting burials for their departed loved ones and reduce any pain, difficulties and other consequences on the families.

Mr Mensah said the affected families should inform the government through their respective Regional Ministers for the necessary representation and assistance.

Mr Mensah said the government has authorised the hospital authorities to continue any medical needs of the injured, who have been discharged but report back with complications at the expense of the state.

He reiterated that government has provided 300 million cedis to the hospital authorities for the upkeep of all those on admission.

He said government has also decided to give 2.5 million cedis to each bereaved family and appealed to those, who have already collected their bodies to contact the funeral committee for payment with effect from Monday, May 14.

Mr Mensah noted that arrangements for payment for all those, who are yet to collect their bodies, would be announced in due course.

As part of the service, intercessory prayers were said for the injured, the families and loved ones of the departed, the media, doctors, nurses and paramedics.

President John A. Kufuor laid a wreath on behalf the government and people of Ghana for the departed souls.