Muntaka’s claim about Fire Service’s response to 2025 road crashes false

On Monday, July 14, 2025, the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak, claimed that the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) had responded to 851 road traffic collisions within the first six months of the year.

He made the statement when he took his turn at the Government Accountability Series to provide insight about happenings in his sector for the first six months of 2025.

Outlining the achievements made by the sector (GNFS), the Minister credited the service’s 24-hour operational shift structure for the level of responsiveness, stating it had contributed significantly to lives being saved and prompt accident rescue efforts.

“The Ghana National Fire Service has also responded swiftly to 851 road‑traffic collisions, rescuing trapped victims and saved [sic] numerous lives,” Muntaka Mubarak said.

Fact-Check Ghana has verified this claim made by the Minister and presents its findings below.

Claim: “The Ghana National Fire Service has also responded swiftly to 851 road traffic collisions…”

Verdict: False

Explanation

To verify this claim, Fact-Check Ghana contacted DO II Desmond Ackah, the Head of Public Relations at the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

According to DO II Ackah, the official data on road traffic accidents the service attended between January and June 2025 indicate that GNFS attended to 327 road traffic accident scenes. These accidents, he said, caused 223 deaths and 1,262 injuries.

The data DO II Ackah shared with Fact-Check Ghana had already been published as an infographic by the GNFS on its official WhatsApp page.

When asked about the Minister’s figure of 851, DO II Ackah stated:

“I don’t know the basis of the Minister’s data. We (GNFS) only account for the accidents we physically attend. We do not cover every road traffic collision in the country.”

He further explained that broader national figures may be reported by institutions like the Ghana Police Service or the National Road Safety Authority, who compile countrywide crash data—including those not attended to by the GNFS.

Source: Ghana National Fire Service

In conclusion, the Minister’s claim that GNFS responded to 851 road crashes from January to June 2025 is factually inaccurate. Verified data from the Ghana National Fire Service confirms only 327 such incidents were attended to in that timeframe.