MIIF rallies support for Appiatse explosion victims

Minerals Income and Investment Fund (MIIF) will donate tents, groceries, cash and other relief items to victims of the 20 January 2022 explosion that wiped away the entire Appiatse community in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western Region.

Chief Executive Officer of MIIF Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng told residents of the Appiatse relief camp that his outfit will make it a duty to highlight their plight in order to attract more help for them.

Over 900 displaced residents live in tents provided by philanthropists and organisations like the Red Cross. Prestea- Huni Valley District Assembly has done some construction works to level the camp and anchor tents in the makeshift facility.

MIIF donation

According Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, the CEO of MIIF, the “test for a nation’s development is in how it cares for its helpless hence it is our responsibility to give to the victims of this terrible disaster.”

In all, MIIF expects to donate about GHc 200,000.00 Ghana cedis in cash and GHc 250,000.00 worth of relief items.

The Fund is also asking people to contribute used toys and clothing to help make a difference in the the daily lives of the camp residents.

” Our staff are bringing used toys and clothes so we can send to the people. There are many children who could play with the toys. Let’s remember that their lives were literally blown away in one minute. They have nothing or very little” the MIIF CEO said.

Maxam fined

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources slapped a fine of US$1 million on Maxam Company Limited, the company at the centre of January 20 explosion at Appiatse in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western Region.

The fine was instituted a week after a committee tasked to investigate the explosion submitted its report to the Lands and Natural Resources Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor.

The company has agreed to pay an additional US$5 million over a period of time to the government of Ghana.

At least 900 persons have so far been displaced and 13 confirmed dead, according to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

A statement issued by the ministry on Tuesday (8 February) said the minister imposed the hefty fine due to the “nature and the totality of the circumstance leading to this tragic incident”.

Relief Fund

Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, on the 25 January 2022, launched a support fund on behalf of the government to assist people affected by the explosion at Appiatse.

The ministry also outdoored a five-member committee which has been tasked to manage the fund.

The terms of reference for the committee are to raise sufficient funds to meet relief needs for the people of Apiate and to supervise their disbursement.

Launching the fund, the minister tasked the committee members to ensure that the disbursement of funds raised is done in a transparent manner.

“The committee has been tasked to raise sufficient funds for the Appiatse Support Fund. They are also to supervise the disbursement of the fund in accordance with the highest standards of integrity and transparency for the sole benefit of the people of Appiatse” Jinapor said..

Wilberforce Asare

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