Apiate rebuilding will enhance socio-economic livelihoods of residents—Committee assures

The multi-sectoral Reconstruction Committee for Apiate has designed a scenario map plan for the rebuilding of the community razed down by an explosion on January 20.

The map provides the pictorial design of the community taking into consideration the character, socio-economic livelihoods, education, and cultural heritage of the people.

However, the Committee has plans to organise a stakeholder engagement in Appiatse in the coming days to solicit the residents' inputs before any physical construction works would start.

Mr Mohammed Alhassan Damba, Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, Land Use Spatial Planning Authority, and a member of the Reconstruction Committee, in a presentation on Monday, said the Committee visited Apiate last week to assess and interact with the people as part of the roadmap towards rebuilding of Apiate into a green and model community.

He said the size of parcel of land would be 70m x100m, which was an improvement from the previous sizes 30m X 40 m and will ensure that there were buffers around hills, water bodies and plant trees to enhance the environmental sustainability of the community.

It will also improve the economy of the community from core rural economy to a mixed commercial one with garages, shops, and schools located in strategic areas, he added.

"The Chief's palace will be at the original place, churches, mosques, community center and if there are traditional shrines they will be there, in order to respect the cultural heritage of the people," Mr Damba stressed.

Apiate Reconstruction Committee

He said the Committee designed the map to cater for future expansion of the community, noting that the population of the town was relatively young and would soon expand to Bogoso.

The plans are underway to provide alternative livelihoods to people whose sources of livelihoods had been negatively affected by the explosion through training and financial support.

The Apiate community is said to derive its name from the first settler who was a powerful traditional herbalist specialised in restoring broken bones.