Offinso accident: Govt to foot medical and funeral expenses

The government says it will foot the entire medical and funeral expenses of eight young footballers who died in a fatal road accident last Saturday at Offinso in the Ashanti Region.

The accident involved players and officials of Colt’s Football Club, Vision Academy who were traveling back to Offinso after a registration exercise at Afrancho in Kumasi.

The Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Professor Peter Twumasi, was at Offinso on Wednesday to commiserate with the families and to assure them of the government’s support.

The NSA boss, who spent the whole day visiting the 33 affected families at Offinso, made a plea to the families and the Offinsomanhene to allow the government to dedicate a day to mourn the departed.

The NSA boss also presented a cash donation to the families of the victims on behalf of the Sports Ministry.

“We gave an assurance that the government will do all that it takes for those who were injured to be supported to recover. So today I came to represent my minister Hon Isaac Asiamah to ensure that we meet all the families and establish all that they require in terms of support. Besides what the government has done including ambulance services, the government is absorbing all medical bills,” he told the families at Offinso.

“Additionally the government will also prefer that a proper befitting burial is organized for the departed and so we had to consult with Nananom to see if such permission will be granted so that the whole country on a particular day will be here to mourn with the families.”

Witnesses say the accident occurred after the driver lost control of his vehicle and plunged into the Offinso River killing eight of the aspiring young footballers and injuring a number of them.

Six of the players aged between 12 and 15 died on the spot while two others lost their lives later at the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital.

Some other members of the team are currently responding to treatment at the St Patrick Hospital, Offinso.

The bus, which was supposed to carry a maximum of 18 passengers, was filled with twice its capacity.