Minority Caucus visit Apiate community

The opposition National Democratic Congress Members of Parliament (MPs) have visited the Apiate community in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western Region.

On Thursday, January 20, 2022, an explosion occurred along the Tarkwa-Bogoso-Ayamfuri road in Western Region, Ghana, after a truck transporting mining explosives collided with a motorcycle.

The explosion destroyed the nearby Apiate village, killing 13 people injuring 200.

Following the sad incident, so many Ghanaians outside the Apiate community have visited the area, the latest to visit the community is the Minority Caucus in Parliament (NDC MPs).

The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle Constituency in the Western Region led the team to witness the situation.

The NDC MPs were assisted by the Chairman of Apiate Disaster Relief Committee and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Prestea Huni-Valley, Dr. Isaac Dasmani to inspect the buildings which were destroyed by the explosion.

The MCE, Dr. Isaac Dasmani took the Minority Caucus to the Divisional Chief of Bepoh-Apiate Traditional Council.

They later visited the victims at Dumase to sympathize with them.

The Minority Caucus took the opportunity to donate some relief items to the victims.

Speaking to the media on behalf of the Minority Leader of Ghana's Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, the Ellembelle MP, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah commended the Chiefs and MCE for supporting the victims till date.

He also commended them for working in unity as one people to help the victims.

"... we are able to accompany our colleague Member of Parliament, Hon. Wisdom Cudjoe on his visit. We thank the Community, the Chief, MCE and his team. It is obvious that in crisis like this the only way we win is working together and obviously, we have come to witness that there is unity in this community", he said.

He stated that he led his colleague MPs on behalf of the Minority Leader to sympathize with the victims.

"I stand on behalf of the NDC Caucus in Parliament led by Hon. Haruna Iddrisu and the Western Regional Caucus to thank Chiefs and people and also to thank the MP for all the efforts that he has made, he has been working tirelessly since the incident happened. He (Prestea Huni-Valley MP) made a profound statement on the floor of Parliament immediately after the incident", he disclosed.

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah who is also the Member of Mines and Energy Committee in Parliament tasked the Committee set up by the government to investigate and know how the incident occurred to do a thorough investigation and punish the culprits.

"When things like this happen, it is important as a country we should get to the bottom of it and make sure that we find what happened and make sure that if there is a collective measure we take it

"We all that there's a law in place that's LI 2177 that states clearly how transportation of explosive materials must be handled", he said.

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah charged the MAXAM company to lead in the rebuilding of the Apiate community which has been turned into a ghost community.

"This is the time the Mining Companies especially those working in the Western Region must show that they care about the people of this region

"So many years of extraction of gold and look at the crisis, we expect to see the company (MAXAM Company) that lead in making sure that we rebuild Apiate", he concluded.

On his part, the Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency, Robert Wisdom Cudjoe urged the company to compensate the people of Apiate so that in the future they don't become disabled people.

The MP took the opportunity to set the record straight that the collaboration between him and the MCE is very effective

He called on their followers to also really behind them and also desist from peddling falsehood about them (Wisdom Cudjoe and Dr. Isaac Dasmani).

"The collaboration is very very perfect and we will continue with it, I pray that those who are our supporters should also continue to give us the support, they should not go about with any rumor that will divide our force so that we can concentrate on how to bring those people (Apiate people) to their normal status", he ended.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area, Dr. Isaac Dasmani commended the Minority Caucus in Parliament for visiting the scene to commiserate with the victims and and witness what happened on that sad day.

He promised to liaise with the MP to make sure the victims are protected.