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Reconstruction of Appiatse community progressing steadily, 20 buildings almost completed – MCE
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Prestea Huni-Valley, Isaac Dasmani, says the reconstruction of the Appiatse community is progressing steadily.
According to him, geological works and assessments are currently ongoing to ensure some buildings are completed to provide shelter for the residents.
He made this known on Friday, March 11 after a burial service was held for six of the residents who died in the tragic explosion.
“We’ve put all of them to rest and a number of people came around to support. The reconstruction committee has been constituted and they have started all the geological works. All those who matter in the construction industry, their teams have been around.
“As I speak, a team from UMaT is on the field testing the soil and other important things that they need to do. We want to give the people a temporal shelter by roofing those uncompleted buildings.
“As we speak, 20 buildings are almost completed, very soon we’d put the roofs on top and then we’d share them for the people to stay in temporarily whilst the reconstruction people also do their work,” he told JoyNews in an interview.
Isaac Dasmani raised concerns over the payment of medical bills, stating that authorities will have to find a sustainable means of ensuring some of the victims continue to get medical attention.
“What is now worrying us is the hospitals they’re attending. Some of them are still going for reviews and when they come with some bills that we pay and all of that – that’s the challenge we are going through now,” he noted.
The explosion, which occurred on January 20, 2022, near Bogoso, claimed 13 lives leaving 59 others severely injured, including a 15-month-old baby.
According to the Police, the incident was due to a collision between a truck carrying mining explosives, a motorcycle and another vehicle resulting in the explosion.
The disaster displaced many after their homes were razed to the ground by the blast. Indeed, a whole community was destroyed.
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and many Ghanaians after the incident provided relief items for the victims who have since been given a temporary shelter.
The government subsequently formed a committee to oversee the rebuilding of the community, which is currently ongoing.
overnment has also received a report from a committee formed to probe the circumstances leading to the disaster.
A support fund, Appiatse Support Fund, has been set up to receive donations and help rebuild the community. The Fund received its first donation of GH₵100,000 from President Akufo-Addo; other organisations have also donated to the Fund.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources later fined Maxam Company Limited, the company responsible for transporting the explosives, an amount of $6 million.
President Akufo-Addo then directed that $5 million of the amount be donated to the Support Fund to rebuild the community.
Source: www.myjoyonline.com
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
