The Chairman of the Apiatse Support Fund Committee, Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, says the over GHc35 Million received as donations to the Apiate Support Fund is not sufficient to rebuild the community.
According to her, although it is not sufficient, she is, however, grateful to all contributors for their enormous contributions so far.
Addressing Journalists in Accra on Monday, she said: “This amount notwithstanding, we are far from reaching what we would call sufficient funds. This is because the extent of damage to the Apiate Township cannot be overemphasized and this amount raised so far will not be adequate”
Dr Joyce Aryee made this declaration when the Apiate Support Fund Committee held a Press Briefing on Monday, 4th April, 2022 to among others update the general public on funds received so far and to deliberate on how to develop concrete proposals for soliciting more funds to be able to support the project which is set to begin by end of April 2022.
She also stated clearly that the monies collected does not include the 5 million dollar fine allotted to Maxam Company to pay into the fund, disclosing that Maxam is yet to pay that Fine through the Minerals Commission.
She further opined that, for the purpose of utmost transparency, the committee will at an appropriate time, make available to the Press and the general public the list of Corporate Institutions and Patriotic Individuals who have donated both in cash and kind to the fund and captured in the Bank Statements of the Fund.
The Chairman of the Support Fund Committee, Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, also made a passionate appeal to all who are yet to donate, to do so and enable a fast and steady reconstruction of the town in order to ensure that the people of Apiate, are relieved from the untold hardship and damage to their properties.
“We are still insisting on our hashtag: ‘Obiara entuabi’ to enable us to make this project a reality,” she added.
She hoped that every means available will be employed to equip the Reconstruction Implementation Team with the requisite funds to construct an Eco-Friendly, Green and Sustainable town that is energy efficient while re-ecohing the account details to the support fund.
“Monetary contributions may be deposited in the name of APPIATSE SUPPORT FUND at GCB Bank account number 1011130036123 or Stanbic Bank account Number 9040009974967 and We encourage you to kindly send your donations through MTN, Vodafone, AirtelTigo to G-Cash short code 422530# or Stanbic short code 71825*096#”
She expressed her profound gratitude on behalf of her team and the people of Appiatse to all those who have donated and assured us that her Committee will work collaboratively with the Reconstruction Implementation Committee to bring Appiatse back on its feet.
The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Chairman of the Appiatse Reconstruction Implementation Team who joined the ASF for the Briefing further explained that the amount of work to be done at Appiatse would determine the exact amount the Fund would need to raise for completion of the project.
He asked Ghanaians through the media to be patient while they put together an inventory to know how much will be needed, adding that the exact quotation of the amount will also depend on the contractor who is awarded the contract to reconstruct the community.
Mr. Blankson Hermans, a member of the Apiate Reconstruction Implementation Team and a representative from the Ghana Institute of Architects, gave a summary of the activities of the Reconstruction Implementation Committee, to give the media and Ghanaians a fair idea of the work done so far.
“For the time period that we’ve been working, we’ve come up with a land-use plan which was developed by the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority. It forms the basis for the design that will be used for the provision of the housing and commercial facilities for the community,” he said.
“So we’ve inspected a root going through the main town and out of it, we’ve got about 120 of 126 bedroom houses to reconstruct. But essentially, as we develop, what we are doing now is to start with the road networks by April ending and we hope to meet that deadline,” he concluded.