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