By Christopher Arko
Accra, June 8, GNA – Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has disclosed in Parliament that the reconstruction of the Appiatse community, which was devastated by an explosion, is estimated to cost over GH₵70 million.
He also explained that the government through the Appiatse Support Fund (ASF) had been able to raise about GH₵42.53 million from the general public to support the victims of the incident and rebuild the community.
Mr Jinapor made the disclosure when he appeared in Parliament to respond to a question by Mr Robert Wisdom Cudjoe, MP for Prestea-Huni-Valley, for the minister to give an update on the accounts of the Apiatse fund as well as a full report on all items donated by individuals and groups to the victims of the Apiatse explosion disaster.
Mr Jinapor explained that on January 25, the ASF was launched, and a five-member committee chaired by Rev Dr Joyce Aryee was constituted to manage the fund.
He said the committee was charged to raise sufficient funds for the ASF and supervise the disbursement of the fund transparently and for the benefit of the people of Apiatse.
He said upon its inauguration the committee opened two bank accounts in the name of the ASF at Stanbic Bank and GCB Bank to receive donations from the general public.
Mr Jinapor also explained that in addition to the one-million-dollar administrative fine imposed on Maxam Company Limited, which is at the centre of the explosion, the company agreed to pay an additional US$5 million to the government in 18 equal monthly instalments, beginning March 2022.
He said with instruction from the President the US$5 million was also to be paid into the ASF and that so far the company had paid the first four instalments to the fund.
He said as of June 6, the committee had received cash donations totalling more than GH42.5 million, including the four instalments paid by Maxam Ghana Limited.
He said out of this one million cedis had been advanced to the Apiatse Reconstruction Implementation Committee to complete temporary structures to accommodate the victims of the incident pending the reconstruction as well as undertake preparatory works for the construction.
He said the committee had also received non-monetary contributions in the form of wood, cement, clothing and cooking utensils.
Mr Jinapor also explained that the priority of the government was to ensure that accruals from the fund were used to reconstruct the Apiatse community.
He said the issues of relief and welfare to the victims of the Apiatse explosion disaster were being handled by the District Assembly and NADMO.
“However, if we were to have more than enough, we will be more than happy to support welfare issues. We can appreciate a lot of people are displaced, school children will have to be supported, people economic activities ruined…we have to raise enough money to support all of these,” he added.
GNA
