Roofing of the temporary structures handed out to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) by the Future Global Resources Company Limited (FGR) has commenced in earnest.

The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio has assured that the priority of government and the Ministry is to ensure that the people of Appiatse will not be at the mercy of the rain.

He assured that the reconstruction team will strictly stick to the May 1st, 2022 deadline to see to the transition of the victims from the camp tents to the temporary buildings.

"My team and I foresaw this happening and planned ahead, that's why we have been in talks with FGR on these buildings and today, as we've witnessed, roofing has commenced and we will be sure to stick to the May 1st time frame to transition the people to the temporary structures."

The Deputy Minister said this when he paid a working visit to Appiatse on 13th April, 2022 to ascertain the impact of the recent heavy down pour at the site and also to inspect the Future Global Resources (FGR) buildings which are being refurbished.

Addressing the media, Mr. Benito Owusu-Bio disclosed that 31 buildings have been refurbished with wood frames and some with roofs, which he is convinced will be completed in the next two weeks.

He added that having done a head count at the camp, the 31 buildings will be able to house up to 110 family units with each family at the camp acquiring a room of their own, averagely four individuals per family.

Mr. Owusu-Bio remarked that per the head count, everyone at the camp will be housed in the 31 buildings, but "we will add more rooms if the need arises to ensure that everyone has a safe place of abode"

Speaking to the displaced victims of the explosion, Benito Owusu-Bio, who is also the Chairman of the Appiatse Reconstruction Implementation Committee, reaffirmed government's commitment to move them to the temporary structures, adding that the President Akufo-Addo led government, has put in place all necessary measures to accommodate them on the 1st of May.

On behalf of the President of the Republic and the Sector Minister, he also empathised with the people of Appiatse, particularly those whose tents were affected by the recent down pour.

Mr. Blankson Hermans, a member of the Reconstruction Implementation Committee and representative from the Ghana Institute of Architects, also told the media that as part of preparations towards the main reconstruction, all demarcations on the site have been completed and soon, the road networks will commence ahead of the detailed designs.

As part of the working visit, the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUPSA) presented the local plan of the Model Community to the Municipal Assembly which was adopted for implementation, after an extensive presentation by Mr. Mohammed Alhassan Damba, the Director for Research Monitoring of LUPSA.