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Displaced Appiatse residents would be resettled – EPA Executive Director
The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu has paid a working visit to Appiatse, near Bogoso in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region last week.
He was accompanied by the Deputy Executive Director of EPA in-charge of Chemical Control and Management Centre, Dr. Ransford Sekyi, Director of Mining, Mr. Sandow Ali, Western Regional Director, Mr. George Diewuoh, Tarkwa Regional Director, Mr. Prosper Yaw Nkrumah, the Municipal Chief Executive of Prestea-Huni Valley, Dr. Isaac Dasmani and others.
Addressing the media after inspecting the area, Dr. Kokofu said the visit was to join the forces like the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Fire Service, NADMO and other relevant agencies who which played a major role to bring comfort to the victims.
He appealed to the people of Appiatse to exercise restraint as government and other benevolent people put the necessary arrangements in place to resettle the displaced inhabitants.
He said the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia had earlier told the inhabitants of Appiatse that government would consult all relevant bodies to help in the reconstruction of the community.
Dr. Kokofu said the good news was that the blasting did not make the place uninhabitable so his office after taking samples of the soil and water from different locations would test the samples in the laboratories and return with the report.
The Executive Director asked the assembly to write to the EPA for a permit for the reconstruction of the community and after all the debris had been collected the construction work could start.
He appealed to the inhabitants especially the youth to exercise restraint as government teamed up with other bodies to find a solution to the problem.
The MCE, Dr. Dasmani on his part said the visit of the EPA team was very timely because it would enable him write for the permit to begin the reconstruction of Appiatse.
He thanked all the agencies for contributing in diverse ways to bring comfort to the people and appealed for more relief items for the displaced.
The EPA also donated 200 bags of cement towards the improvement of the temporary structures allocated to the displaced persons.
From Peter Gbambila, Appiatse
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
