Recommendations of Apiate explosion commission of inquiry is to make mining sector safe, says the minister
14 confirmed dead in Apiate explosion
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has announced the government's plan to set up a ministerial commission of inquiry to probe the explosion at Apiate on January 20, 2022.
A truck carrying mining explosives was involved in an accident at Apiate, leading to an explosion that has since led to the death of 14 persons, injured many and destruction to several properties.
Speaking to the media in Parliament on Tuesday, January 25, 2022, Mr Abu Jinapor said the committee's mandate would include interrogating loopholes in the existing legal framework of mining activities and making recommendations to cure such.
The minister, who is the Member of Parliament for Damongo, noted that the commission would be made of seasoned technocrats capable of fulfilling the mandate.
While indicating the announcement of the committee membership next week, Mr Abu Jinapor expressed the belief that the committee's recommendations will result in making Ghana's mining environment safer and desirable upon implementation.
"For the broader interrogation, the broader examination, so that we can learn the useful lessons out of the industry, the larger picture, what are the loopholes? Where do we have to tighten? The legal regime, is it sufficient? The policy regime, is it sufficient?
"And God willing, next week we're going to inaugurate a ministerial committee of technocrats who are going to conduct an enquiry. Not just an enquiry into this incident, but an enquiry into the whole gamut of health and safety of mining in Ghana and not just explosives, everything to do with health and safety of mining so that out of that we can have recommendations which will be implemented to make our country a safe and healthy destination for mining," he said.
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor