In a post shared on Facebook, the former president said that he felt the need to send the items after leaders of the community indicated that they were running out of relief items for the victims of the explosion.
“I visited the Apiate community in the Western Region on Tuesday to interact with the chiefs, the Apiate Disaster Relief Committee, and the people of the community.
"In response to complaints about the reduction in voluntary relief support to the people, I handed over a quantity of food and non-food items to the Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni Valley, the Municipal Chief Executive, and the Appiate Disaster Relief Committee to be made available to the people. I also presented them with an amount of money to support the further treatment of some of the injured victims,” parts of Mahama's post shared read.
Also, the former president urged the government and Ghanaians not to forget the people of Apiate, who have suffered immeasurable losses.
“In my remarks, I reiterated the concern of the affected community about compensation and urged the government to act proactively to ensure that the people are supported to bring their lives back on track. The people have appreciated the response and support from government after the disaster but their continued livelihoods are also important,” he noted.
The Apiate explosion, which occurred on January 20, 2022, took the lives of 13 Ghanaians, with 59 people sustaining injuries.
According to the National Disasters Management Organisation (NADMO), almost 500 buildings were destroyed in the explosion.
Maxam Ghana Limited, the company which owns the consignment which exploded, was sanctioned by the government for breaching six regulations in the extractive sector.
The government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Minister, has set up an Apiate Fund and a committee led by Dr. Joyce Aryee to see to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Apiate community.
View Mahama’s post plus pictures from his visit to Apiate below:
You can also watch the latest episode of People&Places here:
IB/BOG
Ex-President Mahama (in dark shades) presenting relief items to leaders of leaders of Apiate