CPP calls for coordinated relief efforts at Appiatse
The Convention People's Party (CPP) has called for a coordinated humanitarian operations at Appiatse to ensure that relief items reach the intended beneficiaries to reduce the impact of the disaster on affected persons.
Following the disaster, a number of individuals and institutions have been trooping to the community to donate relief and other essential items to the displaced persons to make life easier for them.
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The CPP called on the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to liaise with the district assembly of the area as well as the Member of Parliament of the affected community to ensure a well-coordinated and prioritised approach in the distribution of relief items to ensure that the appropriate assistance reached those most in need.
The General Secretary of the CPP, Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah, who made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic expressed their condolences to the families of all persons who lost their relatives through the tragic event and wished all injured persons speedy recovery.
She emphasised the need for relief efforts to target the vulnerable in the community including women, children, physically challenged persons, the elderly, pregnant and lactating mothers and people with no place to sleep.
Background
The explosion at Appiatse last Thursday claimed many lives, left hundreds injured and displaced, as well as destroyed the entire community.
While commiserating with affected persons, the CPP called for an independent investigation into the circumstances that led to the catastrophe and appropriate sanctions meted out to all through whose negligence the tragedy occurred.
The CPP also urged the government to review the protocol regarding the transportation of such chemicals and explosives and ensure that a safer mode is adopted and adhered to by all engaged in that business.
According to Nana Yaa Jantuah, the investigation team to be put in place should also probe if Maxam Ghana Limited, the company transporting the explosives to Chirano Gold Mine, adhered to the existing protocol prior to the accident.
Disaster scene management
The CPP also bemoaned what it termed the poor handling of the disaster scene stressing that what they observed in the aftermath of the Appiatse incident left much to be desired.
She argued that under normal circumstances, the disaster scene should have been cordoned off for a thorough professional work by detectives and forensic experts; however, in the case of the recent explosion, people swarmed the crime scene and with ease tampered with evidence, stressing that could affect the integrity of the investigation.
The CPP urged Ghanaians to desist from such behaviour and also called on the NADMO, the police and other investigative bodies to sensitise and educate Ghanaians on the need to stay away from disaster scenes to allow professional assessment by forensic experts when such disasters occur.
Nana Yaa Jantuah, while commending the government for initiating the rebuilding efforts of the community, also called on the management of Maxam Ghana Limited, and Chirano Gold Mine to contribute substantially to the relief and rebuilding of the community.
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