Lands Ministry Warns Mahama Against Politicising Compensation for Appiatse Explosion Victims

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has asked the former president John Mahama to desist from politicising compensation for victims of the Appiatse explosion.

It comes after Mahama called on the government to speed up payment of compensation for the victims of the explosion after donating relief items to the community on Tuesday.

However, a statement issued by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on Wednesday (17 August) said: “Legally, however, it is not for government to compensate victims of the incident.”

“The Ministry is, nonetheless committed through the Appiatse Support Fund, to raise enough funds to reconstruct the community and support the victims of the incident transparently with the highest standard of integrity.

“As the committee has reiterated on countless occasions, all these measures are being taken without prejudice to the right of any person to seek the lawful remedy, including the payment of compensation,” the statement added.

The Ministry, however, commended the former president for donating relief items to the victims of the explosion.  

Below is the full statement:

Background

On Thursday (20 January) Ghana made international headlines following a huge blast in Appiatse, a village in the Western Region. Close to 500 houses were razed down leaving 900 locals displaced with 13 confirmed deaths. 

Police say a preliminary investigation has established that a truck filled with explosives for mining collided with a motorcycle, resulting in the explosion at Bogoso-App