The government, through the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has announced arrangements for the construction of the third and final phase of the Appiatse Redevelopment Project.
The project, it said, would commence by mid-September this year to pave the way for the resettlement of the remaining 69 households affected by the January 20, 2022 explosion that razed a large portion of the community, killing more than a dozen and injuring many others in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region.
The first two phases of the redevelopment programme have been completed.
The disaster occurred when a truck transporting 10 tonnes of mining explosives collided with a motorcycle in Prestea Huni-Valley.
The explosion killed 17 people, injured nearly 60 others and flattened a large section of the farming community, destroying commercial activities, livelihoods and social infrastructure.
At the ceremony to announce the government’s plans for the next phase of the redevelopment project, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Dr Alhaji Yusif Sulemana, inaugurated a Local Implementation committee for the project.
The deputy minister said the local implementation committee would serve as a bridge among beneficiaries, the community and the government during implementation.
Among other responsibilities, the committee will also facilitate the participation of affected residents in decision-making, promote transparent information sharing, support oversight of redevelopment activities and help identify and resolve grievances arising during implementation.
Procurement processes
Dr Sulemana said the ministry had made significant progress on preparatory work for the final phase, including securing suitable land, commencing the compulsory acquisition process, revising the local plan to accommodate phase three, completing architectural designs and initiating procurement processes for consultants and contractors.
The deputy minister assured residents that “once we conclude the procurement process, we will cut the sod for construction to commence by mid-September 2026”.
Dr Sulemana said although the losses suffered by the people of Appiatse could never be fully reversed, the government remained committed to completing the redevelopment efforts and ensuring that affected residents were resettled in a safe, inclusive and sustainable manner.
He explained that the redevelopment effort had, from the outset, been guided by the objective of building back a safer, stronger, greener and more resilient model community.
The deputy minister further announced a change in the building materials proposed for the final phase following concerns raised by residents.
Phase three
The government, Dr Sulemana said, had taken note of concerns about the use of earth bricks and had consequently decided to use cement blocks for the Phase III houses.
Dr Sulemana charged members of the committee to discharge their responsibilities with integrity, fairness and transparency, stressing that community ownership and cooperation would be critical to the successful completion of the project.
He further disclosed that a team from the Lands Commission would visit Appiatse in the coming weeks to engage stakeholders as part of the compulsory land acquisition process.
The deputy minister appealed to traditional authorities, beneficiaries and the wider community to support the exercise and maintain close collaboration with the government as the reconstruction process moved into its final stages.
The Appiatse Redevelopment and Fund Management Committee was reconstituted by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in 2025 to oversee the completion of the final phase and ensure that outstanding victims of the disaster were fully resettled.
