The Koforidua Senior High Technical School (SECTECH) bus involved in the fatal crash on June 29, 2024, was uninsured as per reports.
Transporting about 50 staff members to a funeral, the bus crashed on a sharp curve along the Aseseeso to Somanya road in the Eastern Region.
Tragically, the accident claimed the life of a female kitchen staff member and left several others injured.
In response, Eastern Regional Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong, the Eastern Regional Director of Education, and leaders from the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) visited the bereaved family and the school to offer condolences.
They also visited six victims still hospitalized at the Eastern Regional Hospital.
The bus, registered GV 84-22, was part of a fleet donated to schools by the government through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) in 2022.
However, investigations by Starr News revealed that the bus had never been insured, as confirmed by the National Insurance Commission’s (NIC) Motor Insurance Database.
Consequently, none of the accident victims, including the deceased, will receive insurance benefits. Moreover, the vehicle itself is ineligible for coverage for repairs or replacement.
This incident has reignited discussions about state institutions’ compliance with the Insurance Act 2021 (Act 1061), which mandates insurance coverage for all vehicles on public roads.
Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo in 2018 explained the government’s reluctance to insure its vehicles: “As I speak, all government vehicles are not insured. As a policy, you don’t, because the frequency is such that the government is prepared to pay for insurance coverage for people in an accident rather than insuring its vehicles. It’s a cost estimate.” He, however, urged the government to insure all its vehicles to boost the insurance sector.
Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi, 2022 criticized the government on this matter, stating, “If we have over 18,000 government vehicles and about 98 to 99 percent of them are not insured, that is the problem that the Public Accounts Committee has uncovered, and it’s such an indictment on our public governance structure.”
Additionally, Suweibatu Adam, Chief Director at the Attorney General’s Office, revealed that budget constraints had left 92 official vehicles of the Ministry of Justice uninsured, raising further concerns about financial oversight and accountability.
The unfortunate Koforidua SECTECH bus accident underscores the critical need for government institutions, especially schools, to prioritize vehicle insurance. This is essential not only for ensuring the safety and welfare of students and staff but also for protecting public assets against unforeseen incidents.