The Minerals Commission yesterday donated GH₵2 million to the Appiatse Support Fund to support the rebuilding of the community, and provide much-needed assistance to the affected persons.
The Commission has, thus, become the first organisation to contribute money to the Fund.
At a brief presentation in Accra, the Board Chairperson of the Commission, Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, said the donation was to, among others, facilitate the speedy reconstruction of the Appiatse community and provide support to victims of the unfortunate incident.
She said the Commission was deeply sympathetic to the people of the community and expressed hope that the donation would bring the needed relief to the survivors of the explosion.
Additionally, she stated that the donation would help ease the work of the committee in looking for funds to support the rebuilding of the community.
“We at the commission are making this donation because we feel and have sympathy for the people of Appiatse, who had to go through such a difficult moment.
We hope that this will help in bringing our community back to life and restoring normalcy for our people,” she added.
The commission, Mrs Oteng-Gyasi said, would as much as practicable facilitate the investigation of the explosion
She said the commission would also play a leading role in the ongoing review of the legal, regulatory, health, safety and technical regime of the mining industry under the Minerals and Mining explosive regulations (2012), LI 2177, as well as the Minerals and Mining Health and Safety, Technical Regulations 2012, LI 2182 to tighten the regulatory regime.
She said the appropriate sanctions would be applied, if required, on the conclusion of the investigation, while reaffirming the commission’s commitment to improving standards and increasing sensitisation on safety for all.
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi was hopeful that the gesture would compel others to donate to the fund to enable the government undertake the needed project to keep the community alive.
Chairperson of the Appiatse Support Fund Committee, Dr Joyce Aryee, who received the donation expressed gratitude to the commission for the gesture.
She stated that the involvement of the Minerals Commission in the donations was in line with the campaign message, “Obiaa ntua bi”.
She said due to the good plans being put in place by the authorities towards the redevelopment of Appiatse, it would require a bit of time, and, therefore, called on the leaders and people of Appiatse to be patient, while the committee gathered funds for the project.
“I really wish the community would be built within a very short period but we would need so much to start. I know it’s hard but we plead for your patience to do this well because good things take time, and if it must be done, it must be done well,” she stated.
She also called on the various mining companies to follow due process in all their doings to avoid a recurrence of a similar disaster.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
