Aggrieved Appiatse Locals Threaten To Block Use Of New Homes: "The Money They Gave Us Is Not Enough”

• Some aggrieved residents from Appiatse have threatened to block the use of the 124 homes commissioned by the Vice President
• Some residents who were compensated for damage to property said the money given was not sufficient
• The project followed the truck explosion of January 2022, which claimed the lives of 16 residents

Some aggrieved residents from Appiatse have threatened to block the use of the 124 homes commissioned by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia for persons displaced by the truck explosion that killed 16 people.

Although the beneficiaries welcomed the project, victims who were compensated with some money to repair their damaged structures remain upset.

One of the residents given money, Alhaji Osman Ibrahim, told Citi News that inflation had eroded the compensation money.

“Prices have gone up, prices of iron rods, roofing sheets, and other materials have gone up. The money they gave us is not enough.”

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Some also called for the project's third phase to be expedited so the remaining displaced persons can be accommodated. Some of them said they have been renting apartments since the incident.

There has also been criticism of the lack of utilities in the phase of the project that the Vice President commissioned.

One resident of the area said no water was flowing to the homes. The newly built structures include one- to seven-bedroom units, a market, a six-unit classroom and kindergarten block, inner roads, water and electricity, drainage, and water storage systems.

The explosion occurred on January 20, 2022, near the Appiatse community near Bogoso in the Western Region.

The earlier explosion was triggered when a motorcycle came into contact with a truck transporting explosives to a gold mine in Bogoso. The initial blast drew community members to the scene, only for a second explosion to occur shortly after that.

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A video sighted by YEN.com.gh on Instagram showed the exact moment the truck filled with explosives caught fire after the collision and exploded, which left many people in massive tears.

Many people who were witnesses to the inferno started walking towards the accident, probably to help anyone who was injured.

Shama quarry rocked by explosion flouted regulations

The Minerals Commission has said the quarry in Anto-Aboso at Shama in the Western Region rocked by an explosion was operating without proper authorisation.

The commission said its inspectors had noticed that the company was conducting nighttime operations, likely to avoid detection by a local task force.

Five people were confirmed dead in the explosion, with others sustaining injuries.

Source: YEN.com.gh