Accra, July 10, GNA - The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, has asked Scancom Ghana Limited to stop the construction of a switch station at Chabaa-Odokor in Accra.

A statement signed by the sector minister, Madam Sherry Ayittey said that a petition presented by a senior citizen indicated that "The mast constitutes a direct invasion of our property and environment". It said the citizen's appeal prompted Madam Ayittey to visit the station and afterwards directed that the project be stopped awaiting clearance by the Town and Country Planning, Environmental Protection Agency and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.

The statement said the minister's directive was also necessitated by gross non-cooperation on the part of the company to allow Ghana Atomic Energy Commission to conduct radiation test on the site. It said: "In the interest of the public living in and around the construction site, the Minister has evoked the Environmental Protection Act 1994, Act490 and by this, Scancom has been directed to stop work immediately on the site until further notice".

The statement said the ministry sought to advice all communication network operators to cooperate with the statutory regulatory agencies and be sensitive to the concerns of the citizenry.