May 9 disaster: Has justice been served?
It’s been 12 painful years since Ghana suffered one of the severest tragedies so far as stadium disasters in any part of the world are concerned.
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Commemorating the event either at the national or club level for the two clubs whose fans were involved in the tragedy – Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko – has become a yearly affair.
But as we do so, has anyone objectively asked this question: Has justice been served in the aftermath of the incident?
There is no need to recount the events of that fateful day but to say that a Commission of Enquiry was set up, headed by Mr Sam Okudzeto, to find out what could have gone so wrong.
After months of hearing and evidence gathering, the commission finally presented its report, which indicted the police for over-reacting through reckless behaviour and indiscriminate firing of plastic bullets and tear gas. It also accused some officers of dishonesty and indefensible laxity.
The report also claimed that medical staff had already left the stadium, as the incident happened near the end of the match.
Six police officers were charged with 127 counts of manslaughter afterwards, but none of the fans whose violent action resulted in the over-reaction from the police was indicted.
The indicted police officers also eventually walked away free as the court ruled that the prosecution had failed to make a case against them.
Upon the recommendation of the commission, security at the various stadia and match venues, as well as first aid facilities, have been improved.
Largely, fans have become more tolerant and now understand that engaging in senseless arguments, brawls and other forms of hooliganism is not worth the while even though there are still pockets of intimidation and fans’ misbehaviour at some centres.
While things have generally improved so far as fans’ comportment is concerned, the pathetic stories that come up each year indicates that nothing was achieved from the experience of the incident.
The Accra Stadium Disaster Fund was set up to support the families of those who lost their lives in that tragedy, as well as those who survived it. While it is agreed that the fund may not be able to cater for everyone on the list, it has done very little to offer any help at all.
There is very little information on the fund. Nothing has been done to officially or unofficially raise funds into` it, in case it has run out of resources.
The last time it was checked, Mr John Sackah Addo was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the fund and at a 2011 commemorative event, he said his outfit was still catering for the dependants of 126 deceased persons. What has been the quantum of support for those dependents?
Many dependants have come telling their stories to the paper that they have survived on the goodwill of friends and family members who have also grown tired. So how is the fund managed?
Last year, a brilliant student who had gained admission to the university almost missed out because his mother, who had been the main breadwinner, could not afford the bills. A good Samaritan eventually came to his rescue.
There are some who have also given up on seeking further medical treatment because they have become invalids as a result of the accident and could no longer pay for the medical bills.
Would it not have been a more befitting memorial for the dead for Mr Sackah Addo and his outfit to use an occasion such as this to inform the public about how well or badly the fund was doing and what the public could do to support it to replenish its coffers? Or has the Trust Fund completed its job? If so, then it is just fair to let the world know.
In 1986, a similar disaster happened in England where 96 people died and 766 others sustained several degrees of injury at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England during an FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The police were blamed for the incident also.
In the aftermath, and 20 years after the incident, an Independent Panel re-evaluated the incident with the intention of improving safety, as well as seeking justice for the victims. On December 19, 2012, a new inquest was granted in the High Court, to find out how the victims died.
A Disaster Fund was also set up with an initial £500,000 from the government, £100,000 from Liverpool F.C. and £25,000 each from the cities of Liverpool, Sheffield and Nottingham
Ten years after the incident, £30 million had been raised. Much of the money went to victims and relatives of those who were involved in the disaster, and provided funds for a college course to improve the hospital phase of emergency care.
Despite this huge support, victims felt the effect of the tragic event. By the disaster's 10th anniversary in 1999, at least three people who survived were known to have committed suicide caused by emotional problems brought on by the disaster.
Another survivor had spent eight years in psychiatric care. Numerous cases of alcoholism and drug abuse were also blamed on the disaster, and it contributed to the collapse of a number of marriages involving people who had witnessed the events.
There are similar stories being told in Ghana today and unfortunately, the victims’ plights are worsened by the way they have been denied justice and compensation. We can only imagine what has gone on in homes of the victims.
With the discharge of the six police officers at the law courts, are we saying that no one was responsible for what happened to those victims? Is that justice? Will justice ever be served to these victims whose families are painfully reminded of their woes by the statue at the entrance of the Accra Stadium with the inscription: gbo mo nyemi dzi gbomo? To translate, we are each other’s keeper! But are we?
Story: Rosalind K. Amoh