Revise membership of Apiate Fund Committee - Prestea MP pleads

The Member of Parliament(MP) for Prestea in the Western Region,Mr Robert Cudjoe has made a passionate appeal to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor to revise the current membership of the committee set by the government to investigate and raise funds for the rebuilding the Apiatse township.

On Thursday, January 20th 2022, there was an explosion at Apiate, a town between Bogoso and Bawdie in the Western Region.

According to reports, a mining explosive vehicle moving from Tarkwa to Chirano mines collided with a motorcycle resulting in the explosion.

As a result, more than 10 persons were reported dead while more than 50 sustained injuries.

Several domestic and commercial properties were also destroyed.

It was noted that about 170 families were affected by the disaster.

After the disaster, the Apiatse Support Fund was launched by Lands Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor to help solicit funds to rebuild the Apiatse community, which was ravaged by the explosion.

About the same time, Maxam Company Limited, the company whose mining truck was involved in the Apiatse disaster, was fined 6 million dollars.

In a statement read on the floor of parliament, Mr Robert Cudjoe noted that some traditional rulers and opinion leaders of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area, Prestea and its surrounding towns are not pleased with the composition of the Committee.

He said they complained that no member of their traditional area is part of the Committee and there was the need for a revision of the Committee.

Mr Robert Cudjoe further expressed appreciation to the government for its swift intervention to support the victims of the disaster to resettle.

“The Overlords of Apiatse, that is the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council, Prestea-Hunney Valley Constituency, Bepo Divisional Traditional Council have no representative on the above Committee. I therefore urge the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to revise the Membership of the Committee to bring at least a member from the traditional area,” he said.