A private legal practitioner, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, has commended the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, for what he describes as proper handling of the Appiatse explosion.

According to him, the Minister has made a strong case in support of why there should be vibrant and energetic individuals occupying public offices.

He noted that the Minister has been impressive in dealing with the Appiatse situation.

“The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has really impressed me. Honestly, I’ve known Jinapor for a while and I think that he has made a very strong case for why you should have young, dynamic persons in government.”

He added, “…Because I haven’t come across any Minister who has administratively been able to hold persons or companies who are violating the rules and regulations in their area responsible and this act is one that sets a very good precedent.”

…For the minister himself to administratively take that decision, I think he deserves a lot of commendation and he’ll be my Minister for the year because it was such a bold and decisive decision without prejudice to the civil actions that could take place,” he noted.

However, he appealed to the Minister to ensure that the fine imposed on Maxam Company Limited is diligently used for its purpose.

“What I am begging of him (Samuel Jinapor) is to ensure that the money is used for the purpose. That has always been our problem as Ghanaians. But with the US$5 million, we beg the parasites in our system not to come close to this money. Even if we don’t get anything right in this country, for this project let’s ensure we take the scars away from the people,” he stated.

Maxam fined

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources fined Maxam Company Limited an amount of US$1 million for regulatory breaches regarding the manufacture, storage, and transportation of explosives for mining and other civil works.

The breaches were identified by a three-member committee set up by the government to investigate the explosion that occurred at Appiatse in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western Region, which killed some fourteen people and razed

Again, the company has agreed to pay an additional US$5 million over a period of time to the government of Ghana.