The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has declared all-out war on a dangerous habit that has turned too many Ghanaian roads into crematoriums: fuel siphoning from overturned tankers.
The Authority’s “Stay Back, Stay Safe” campaign has landed in Suhum, Nsawam, Adawso, and Koforidua with a simple, terrifying message: that spilled fuel can become a fireball in seconds and you will not outrun it.
Leading the charge, NPA’s Director of Consumer Services, Eunice Budu-Nyarko, took to Bryt FM, Afeema FM, and Radio 1 to hammer home the math. A tanker fire does not creep. It explodes. And its reach? Up to 400 metres almost the length of four football pitches in the time it takes to draw a breath.
But the campaign’s most urgent warning was aimed at a new, reckless breed of risk-taker: students chasing clout.
At Koforidua Technical University, All Nations University, and SDA College of Education, the NPA’s Head of Consumer Education, Maureen Adwoa Duori, did not mince words.
“Lives are being unnecessarily endangered,” she told students. “Do not prioritise social media engagement over your own safety.”
Her message was stark: the rush to film burning tankers for TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook has turned accident scenes into mass graves waiting to happen. Her advice? Vacate immediately. Call the Ghana National Fire Service. And do not look back.
But the campaign was not all doom and gloom. The NPA also armed consumers with a simple tool to fight back against dishonest fuel station attendants: the 10-litre standard measuring can, popularly known as “Ntease Kuruwa” (the understanding bowl).
Ing. Johnson Gbagbo Jnr., Head of Consumer Data Analytics & Market Intelligence, explained that the NPA working with the Ghana Standards Authority ensures fuel pumps are calibrated correctly. But he urged Ghanaians to be vigilant. If you suspect short-changing, demand the Ntease Kuruwa.
And in a surprising twist, Gbagbo also took aim at the kitchen. He warned that prolonged exposure to smoke from charcoal and firewood is like “heavy cigarette smoking” a slow poison. His prescription: switch to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). It is cleaner. Safer. And it will not steal years from your life.
The NPA is doing its part. But the real test will come when the next tanker overturns on a busy highway. Will Ghanaians listen? Or will they reach for their phones and jerrycans?
One thing is certain: the Authority has fired its warning shot. The rest is up to you.