Some concerned residents in Hofedo, a suburb of Ho have raised concerns about the construction of a Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) filling station in a residential area. 

According to them, constructing the station in a residential and very close to an electricity transformer increases the risk factor of a disaster in the enclave. 

The residents are therefore pleading with the authorities to prohibit the developer from going ahead with the project to ensure the safety of their lives and properties. 

Hofedo, one of the newly developed suburbs which sprang upin the 1990s, lies on the North Eastern side of the Volta Regional capital, Ho. 

The suburb serves as home to hundreds of residents and harbors some businesses, educational institutions, and churches. 

However, the new development in the area has injected fear into the residents. 

A resident, Godsway Gboto explained that they noticed a group of artisans started erecting a fence around a land which lies along the main street and had been left idle for a period.

He said that after carefully studying the scope of work, they arrived at the conclusion the developer was constructing an LPG filling station. 

“We approached the workers and asked them but they denied, and failed to direct us to the financier of the project”, he said. 

JoyNews investigations revealed that the investor was given a permit to construct a liquid petroleum gas station in the residential area in 2018. 

A move to begin construction in the past was heavily objected by the residents. 

The assembly member for the area, Bewiadzi Samuel said they had reported the isssue to the assembly officials who promised to work on their concerns.

It is, however, surprising that the developer has decided to go ahead with the project after 5 years. 

The residents are alarmed because the station is in close proximity to homes, while an electricity transformer is situated at the entrance of the site. 

They fear the least form of disaster may ravage their homes and destroy their lifetime properties. 

“I own a mechanic shop at the back, if they set up a gas filling station, and any disaster happens, I will be indebted because the cars of my clients will get burnt. That is why we are pleading with the government. We do not agree with the setting of the filling station”, Eric Atsu, a mechanic lamented. 

"We are begging that, wherever this permit is coming from, they should stop him. He can do other projects but as for the gas, we don’t agree. When disaster struck, it could sweep through the entire community all the way to the Barracks", Laura Anyomi, said.

An octogenarian, Juliana Anyomi, who shares boundaries with the station says her heart has never been at rest, after learning of the construction of the LPG station. 

“I was the first to settle here and later a lot of people started coming which I was so enthused about until the setting up of the gas filling station started to scare me. I am begging the government to consider me and stop the project, if not, I will die. I am already suffering, my heart is not at peace because of this issue”, she said.