President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has donated GHC100,000 to the Appiatse explosion support fund, set up by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to assist residents of the Western Region settlement (formally known as Apiate) racked by last Thursday’s detonation of mining explosives.
The president made the donation after interacting with the five-member committee constituted by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to steer the fund’s affairs when they paid a courtesy call on him at Jubilee House in Accra.
The president is the first citizen to donate towards the fund created for the affected families of Appiatse.
Rebuilding the community
In his engagement with the committee, President Akufo-Addo said it was gratifying to see the kinds of people who have accepted the responsibility of becoming members of the body.
The president urged them to make the rebuilding of the community their topmost priority.
The president further entreated all those who will be involved in carrying out this task to consider making the fund a new model that will serve as a reference point for building future communities.
“This project has to succeed and, as always, it has to begin with the money. If there is no money you cannot move on,” Akufo-Addo said.
“I want to wish you the very best of luck. And yes, madam, I [give] my widow’s mite: I have GHC100,000 that I am donating to the fund,” the president said.
Enthusiasm high
The chair of the committee for the Appiatse Support Fund, Reverend Dr Joyce Aryee said, in brief remarks, that the committee had started work. She was hopeful that, by close of business on Friday 28 January 2022, it would also be ready to announce to the general public avenues for making contributions.
“The level of enthusiasm to give is quite high. I have personally had many calls, people finding out how they can contribute. We are convinced that we will be able to raise sufficient funds for the many projects,” Reverend Aryee said.
Committee members
The five-member committee is chaired by Reverend Aryee, a former minister of state under President Jerry John Rawlings and former chief executive officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines.
The other committee members are Tetrete Okuamoah Sakyi II, Omanhene of the Wassa Amenfi Traditional Area; Philip Owiredu, the managing director of Cal Bank; Dr Antoinette Tsiboe-Darko, the executive director of the Danquah Institute, senior lecturer at the University of Ghana and research fellow at the Centre for Social Policy Studies; and the chief executive officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Sulemanu Koney.
Wilberforce Asare
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