A Government delegation from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and other State officials have commiserated with the Chiefs and people of Appiatse as they bury seven out of the 13 victims who died from the explosion at Appiatse.
Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources; and Chairman of the Appiatse Reconstruction Team, Mr. Benito Owusu-Bio, led the delegation.
The Appiatse explosion occurred on 20th January, 2022, leading to the death of the 13 people, loss property and hundreds displaced.
On behalf of the Ministry and its agencies, the Deputy Minister donated an amount of GHC30,000 to support the Burial and funeral rites as well as the bereaved families.
The seven victims laid in state during the burial ceremony were, Ekua Nyame 80 years old, Isaac Benyin (45), Isaac Anane (35), Emmanuel Quainoo (29), Justice Kwesi Takwa (21), Michael Afriyie (19) and a 15 months old baby, Ella Baidoo.
According to the disaster relief committee, 4 out of the other 6 victims of the total 13were laid to rest last weekend while the remaining two namely Emmanuel Awingura (24) and Eric Gyimah (24) will be given a private burial by their families in their respective birth homes in the coming days.
Representatives from the bereaved families were given the opportunity to read out tributes in turns and pay their last respects to the deceased.
Speaking on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Sector Minister, Mr Samuel A. Jinapor, at the burial ceremony, Mr. Benito Owusu-Bio extended condolences of government and the Ministry to the bereaved families.
“We are here on behalf of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and my Sector Minister who are on an equally important official duty in Dubai, to sympathize with you in this hard time. They send their heartfelt condolences to the Chiefs, people and all the bereaved families. We know this is hard but do take heart”.
He bemoaned the sad and sudden tragedy saying, “This is sad and we hope and pray this doesn’t reoccur but as we cry and mourn the dead, we also have to keep in mind that there are others alive who need to be sheltered as soon as possible and we are committed to do this within the shortest possible time”
Mr. Owusu-Bio who attended the burial ceremony in the company of some members of the Reconstruction Committee and a representative from the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Mr. Samuel Akuaku announced that within a period of 12 months the new Appiatse Community promised by government will be reconstructed into a Green, sustainable and model community.
The Chief of Appiatse, Nana Atta Kwadwo Bremebi expressed his profound gratitude to President Nana Akufo-Addo, Mr. Samuel A. Jinapor, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and all other stakeholders for their efforts towards the rebuilding Appiatse and for sympathizing with them.
He also urged his people to support the project and remain patient as government zooms into the third phase of the project.
Mass burial
The mass burial ceremony which took place at the explosion site in Appiatse, a suburb of Bogoso in the Western Region also had in attendance the Board Chairperson of the Minerals Commission, Mrs. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi; MCE for Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Assembly, Dr. Isaac Dasmani, The MP for Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency, Mr. Robert Wisdom Cudjoe and other mourners from home and abroad.
