Source: Acquah Anthony
Some residents of Appiate in the Western Region of Ghana, affected by a gas explosion in January 2022, are still looking up to the government for help.
The spokesperson for the victims, Mr. John Afaly, stated that he lost a Maize Milling machine together with his 11-bedroomed self-contained apartment, and other belongings when the disaster occurred.
He mentioned that several people who also lost valuable properties have since remained helpless.
According to him, the victims made appeals to the government on many occasions for succour but all to no avail.
He echoed the frustration of fellow victims against the delayed commissioning of the new buildings the government constructed to compensate them for their loss. Mr. Afaly said that the people were uncertain if the government would honour its word to allocate the victims housing units.
Mr. Afaly alleged that although a contractor was deployed to destroy and rebuild over 20 people’s buildings, he has yet to provide them with plausible feedback. He lamented the poor construction work done by the contractor; more than the required measurement of sand was mixed with the cement in putting up the structures. He also mentioned that only single-roomed apartments were built to be allocated to each victim.
He hinted that the victims would hit the streets to express their displeasure, warning that their protest action could affect the fortunes of the government in the December 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Some of the victims also added that the government’s failure to attend to their urgent needs would compel them to allot the yet-to-be-commissioned new buildings to themselves.
It could be recalled that on 20 January 2022, a blast occurred in an area at Appiate, a community near Bogoso, about 300km (180 miles) west of Accra, the capital of Ghana. The explosion occurred when a motorcycle went under a truck carrying explosives that was en route to the gold mine at Bogoso. After the blasts, people in the community rushed down to the scene when a second blast occurred a few minutes later. The explosion destroyed dozens of buildings.
As of 26 January 2022, a total of 3,300 people were reportedly affected by the incident, with 17 people confirmed dead and some 59 people injured.
National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) recorded the destruction of 500 buildings, displacing approximately 1,500 people.
The explosion blew off main roads in the area, with many commuters getting stranded due to the situation.
The Prestea Huni Valley Municipal Assembly set up a relief center at the Catholic Church Parish Hall in Bogoso, which hosted the displaced people, and the Government, through the Municipal Chief Executive of Prestea Huni Valley Municipal Assembly, issued a statement highlighting the need for assistance including temporary shelter, food items, and medical needs.
