Samuel A. Jinapor
MINISTER FOR Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, says all is set for the construction of the Apiate community which was razed down by an explosion in January. He said the masterplan for the construction is completed, and government will soon cut the sod for construction to begin.
The minister said this when he led a delegation from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Apiate Reconstruction Implementation Committee, to the community yesterday. The visit was to, among others, assess the conditions of the members of the community since their relocation to the temporary structures in May, and inspect the state of the reconstruction.
Mr. Jinapor said he was satisfied with the new temporary structures, and called on the members of the community to take care of the place while government reconstructs the community. He made a personal donation of assorted food items and a cash sum of GH¢10,000 to the womenfolk of the community. The minister symbolically decommissioned the tents that were originally used to house the victims of the incident before the relocation in May.
Touching on the reconstruction of the community, the minister said the first phase of the reconstruction will be the core community which consists of 124 housing units made up of one to seven bedroom houses.
Mr. Jinapor called on Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians alike to support the project by donating to the Apiate Support Fund. “The Apiate project is non-partisan, without colouration, and we must all support it to bring relief to the victims of this unfortunate incident,” the minister said.
Mr. Jinapor also called on the community members to come together and support the project with their collective efforts.
On their part, the community thanked the minister and government for their support since the tragic incident. Kyeame Kwame Ofori, who spoke on behalf of the chief of the community, said actions taken by the minister since the incident demonstrate government’s commitment to rebuild the community. He pledged the full support of the community to government to ensure the completion of the project.
