Some victims of the devastating fire that ravaged the Adum area in Kumasi have issued a public apology to the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak, after they rejected an aid package intended to support their recovery efforts.

The aid, which included 1,500 bags of rice and 800 boxes of soap and cooking oil, was initially provided by the Minister and NADMO to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the fire.

The rejection of the aid, which caused a stir, stemmed from concerns raised by the victims about the quality and appropriateness of the items provided.

• Read also: ‘We don’t need rice!’ – Adum fire victims reject Interior Minister’s donation

Some affected traders expressed disappointment over the government’s response to their urgent needs, arguing that the relief items were insufficient or did not meet their immediate requirements.

But after 24hours, some of the fire victims acknowledged that their response to the aid package had been inappropriate and expressed regret for any misunderstanding or negative impressions caused.

In a statement, the leadership of the Bluelight Traders Association emphasized that their frustrations were as a result of the immense hardship they had endured following the fire and not an intentional act of defiance or disrespect toward the government’s efforts.

“We sincerely apologize to Hon. Muntaka for this regrettable occurrence, believing strongly that this action was a result of misunderstanding and miscommunication among some members.

“In distressing times like these, frustrations and emotions can run high, sometimes leading to unintended expressions of displeasure.

However, such conduct does not represent the values or intentions of the association as a whole,” their statement said.

This is contrary to earlier claims made by the Asawasi MP’s Secretary in a press release accusing JoyNews of misreporting the incident.

The statement said that the rejection of the aid did not happen as reported alleging that JoyNews skewed its report. But the apology by the traders confirms otherwise.

Earlier, NADMO Boss, Dr Joseph Kuyon, defended the decision by the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak, to deliver 1,500 bags of rice and 800 boxes of oil and soap to victims of the fire incident at Adum in Kumasi, after the items were initially rejected.

He justified the intervention, explaining that the donated items were procured with urgency to provide immediate relief.