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Ray of hope for Appiatse community
There is ray of hope for the people of Appiatse as the Government has given the assurance to reconstruct the entire Community which was completely destryed by heavy explosion last Thursday.
Also, some well-meaning Ghanaians, institutions and individuals have donated cash and other items for the upkeep of the victims.
The vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on behalf of the Government donated GH¢200,000 and assured that all the medical bills would be borne by the state.
At the time of filing this report, plans were underway by the Ministry of Works and Housing, and the State Housing Company to see how best the community could be reconstructed.
The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation Foundation, led by Executive Director, Dr Dominic Eduah also visited the sites and pledged to build schools in the community.
Meanwhile, Future Global Resources (FGR), Bogoso, has also offered their resettlement camp to the Prestea- Huni Valley Municipal Assembly (PHMA) to accommodate the displaced Appiatse community.
In an interview with The Spectator, the Municipal Works Engineer, Mr Kojo Scott, explained that, after a stakeholders’ meeting, theAssembly, decided to move the displaced persons to the new site due to the increase in numbers and also to provide them with better accommodation.
He said the Red Cross Society had provided some tents for households while FGR also gave bigger tents each containing 10 beds to other individuals and another building with a bigger space to also accommodate the youth.
“There is also a conference room, a clinic and another room with bigger screen to provide entertainment. We have a wash room, offices, a warehouse, a hand pump and mechanised bore holes. The military and police are here to beef- up security 24 hours.Again, we have a committee comprising opinion leaders. There are also street lights to improve security at the camp.” Mr Scott told this reporter.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of PHMA, Dr. Isaac Dasmani also in a press statement copied to The Spectator confirmed that, “a temporary camp (residence) comprising tents and built structures have been erected for the displaced persons pending the reconstruction of the Appiatse community, and ready for habitation by the displaced.”
He added “The camp is 90 percent complete. We believe that as we move them in community life will fully bounce back in the Camp, which is located within the site of the Dumase Resettlement Project, about five minutes walk away from Appiatse community”.
Dr Dasmani expressed his thanks to Future Global Resources for giving out their resettlement project site to be used as a camp, and all other organisations for their immense support so far, stressing “ let’s continue to donate in support of the people of Appiatse.”
Appiatse, near Bogoso, was hit by explosion last Thursday, January 20, that killed 13 people with several others sustaining various degrees of injury.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Appiatse
Entertainment
Edem’s debut album gets praise from Sarkodie
Ghanaian rap star Sarkodie has celebrated fellow artiste Edem for his groundbreaking debut album “The Volta Regime”, calling it one of the greatest albums in Ghana’s music history.
In a heartfelt social media post, Sarkodie, whose real name is Michael Owusu Addo, reflected on the first time he heard Edem rap.
He said he was instantly impressed and knew Edem would have a serious impact on the music scene.
“I remember when I first encountered my brother Edem, I came back home to tell one of my hommies that this guy will have a serious impact on the music scene,”
“He was like naa because of the language barrier. I said I don’t hear language, I hear greatness. Big up my brother, you are still on my favourite emcee list.” Sarkodie wrote.
Edem, born Denning Edem Hotor, released The Volta Regime in 2009. The album boldly embraced the Ewe language and featured collaborations with top Ghanaian artists including Tinny, Kwabena Kwabena, and Jeremie Van-Garshong.
Despite initial doubts about how well Ewe rap would perform commercially, the album proved to be a major success and introduced a new wave of local-language hip-hop.
Songs like Bra Fre Me, Nyorvuviade, and the powerful Intro helped establish Edem’s lyrical prowess and cemented his place as a unique voice in the Ghanaian music industry.
At a time when the local scene was dominated by Twi and Ga-speaking rappers, Edem’s success broke barriers and made it clear that talent speaks louder than language.
His impact opened doors for more linguistic diversity in hiplife and hip-hop music across the country.
Sarkodie’s tribute is especially meaningful because both artists emerged around the same period. Sarkodie’s own debut album Makye also dropped in 2009, and the two have long shown mutual respect for each other’s craft.
Today, over 15 years after its release, The Volta Regime continues to inspire fans and artists alike. It remains a symbol of bold originality and cultural pride.
Edem has since released several projects and remains an active voice in Ghanaian music and youth advocacy. His legacy is a reminder that true greatness is not limited by language.
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Remove all unauthorized outdoor advertising signs and billboards mounted at road medians – NRSA cautions advertising companies
The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has announced plans of continuing its enforcement exercise to remove all unauthorized outdoor advertising signs and billboards located in road medians.
The decision to embark on this exercise, according to the authority, is to avert risks posed by the signs, which cause visual and cognitive distractions to drivers and obstruct the view of both motorists and pedestrians.
The authority in a statement disclosed that the exercise would cover the N1 Highway (from the Achimota Overhead to the Dzorwulu Fiesta Royale Traffic Light), the Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Circle Stretch (from Circle to Odorkor through to the Weija intersection), Spintex Road (from the Action Chapel intersection to the Palace Mall), and the Kawokudi to Achimota stretch.
The NRSA said it will begin this phase of the removal exercise in August, in collaboration with municipal assemblies in the Greater Accra Region.
The authority warned advertising companies, their clients, and sign owners to voluntarily remove their signs with immediate effect.
The NRSA stressed that failure to do so will lead to forceful removal, and the full cost of the operation will be charged to owners of the non-compliant signs.
The Authority added that this exercise is part of efforts to ensure safer roads for all road users and called for the cooperation of all stakeholders.
By Jacob Aggrey
