7-member Apeate Reconstruction Committee inaugurated

The government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, has inaugurated a seven-member Reconstruction Committee to ensure the complete reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Apeate community.

At a ceremony to inaugurate the committee yesterday, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, said the unfortunate Apeate explosion disaster brought to the fore certain challenges.

He said the government had stepped up to the challenge, and that he is more than impressed with progress made in restoring normalcy to Apeate.

According to him, his outfit has received positive reports from the field and is confident that the government and allied institutions will work hard to ensure that residents of Apeate enjoy normal life.

The Minister disclosed that, under the directive of President Akufo-Addo, the Ministry will ensure that all form of support needed by the victims and the community are provided.

Charge

He charged the committee to draw up a comprehensive plan that will lead to the complete reconstruction of the community that will serve as the standard for resettlement going forward.

“When incidents like this happen, they throw up all kinds of matters which have to be handled. We have done some investigations and the report is in and we will act on the report. Very soon we will communicate to the country, the consequences of the report,” he said.

The Minister also noted the other aspect of trying to raise funds which is ongoing, urging citizens and well-wishers of Ghana to support the victims.

“The reconstruction of Apeate is an all-important and major aspect of the process. Whatever we have to do to rebuild the community, the President has been very strong on that,” he added.

Mr Jinapor said the reconstruction project implementation team, which is a multi-sectorial, multi- departmental team will oversee the reconstruction of a greener and a sustainable community, and the team will be chaired by my Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, who is responsible for Land and Forestry and who himself, is a surveyor in good standing and well experienced.

He further stated the Ministry will work in unison with the Ministry of Work and Housing to build an eco-friendly community.

“President has asked us to build this community as a model, Ghanaian village community, which is green, and which is sustainable, which is well laid out, and which can be an example for future development and villages in our country in the future,” he added.

He assured that the agency responsible for planning, planning communities, and planning townships, will have a representation on this team.

“We have a representative of the land use and spatial planning authority, previously called Town and Country Planning, which is the agency responsible for planning of communities. We want to ensure that the architecture fraternity of our country are involved,” he said

Committee

The 7-member committee is chaired by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio. Other members include the Director of Housing of the Ministry of Works and Housing, Mr Sylvanus Adjornu and the Director of Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, Mr. Kwadwo Yeboah.

The rest are Mr. Charles Blankson-Hemans, Ghana Institute of Architects; Mr. Robert Gyamfi, Resettlement Specialist; Nana Nuamah Kyei-Baffour, Ghana Institute of Surveyors; and Nana Atta Kwadwo Bremebi II, Divisional Chief of Beppoh.