The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, responsible for Lands and Forestry and Chairman of the Appiatse Reconstruction Implementation Team, Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio has revealed that considering the output of work on the Appiatse Reconstruction so far, he is confident his team will be able to meet the set target of completion.
According to him, he is impressed and satisfied with the level of work, indicating that Ghanaians can be rest assured as the promise made by government to bring back the Appiatse township is being fulfilled.
Mr Owusu-Bio expressed this confidence when he, together with some members of his team, paid a working visit to the Appiatse Reconstruction site to among others, inspect progress of work.
During inspection, Mr Owusu-Bio revealed that a drainage system has been initiated by the Urban Roads to help direct rain water to the right gutters, allowing free flow of rain water in the community and also avoid floods.
Speaking with much optimism, he was of the view that “with the road networks also progressing steadily, the core area should be completed soon when the roofs come up before the rains because with the roofing they can still be inside and working and that will really speed up the work here”.
He however called on the Urban Roads to present their drainage plan for the review of the ARIT to see how it integrates into the main plan to forestall any shortcomings and also avoid surprises in final work output.
The deputy lands minister noted that although there is enough funds to complete phase one of the project, Ghanaians must remember there is a phase two of the project awaiting repairs and more funds will be needed to complete it thereby calling on Ghanaians to continue contributing and donating to the support fund.
Contractors at Appiatse reconstruction commended
The Chairman equally applauded the contractors for their efforts but urged them to invest more before the rains set in, adding that as the contractors of a model township, this could sweep in even better contract opportunities for them.
Briefing the Deputy Minister on the progress of work, Mr. Walter Semordzie, the Site Manager with the Project Consultants, AESL, stated that currently, almost all building is at the Gable level awaiting roofing but promised that immediately the buildings are roofed, all other external works like plastering and painting will also begin concurrently which will help finish up the project in time.
Mr. Robert Gyamfi, a member of the ARIT and Manager for Stakeholder Communications and Community Engagement at FGR, a Mining company in Bogoso who has been engaging the people said, the initial impression of uncertainty by indigenes of Appiatse has changed since the roofing commenced.
He explained that the people of Appiatse are impressed and calmer about the turn out of the reconstruction and waiting in earnest expectation of the final completion.
Prior to this, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Chairman of the Appiatse Reconstruction Implementation Team, Benito Owusu-Bio, disclosed that all 124 housing units of Appiatse which forms part of the first phase of the project are currently under various levels of construction and hopeful to be completed within the stipulated time frame.
According to him, this is an impressive work as the committee used about four months of the year time frame given by government to work on the temporary structures acquired from FGR to provide safe shelter for the people.
The Deputy Minister explained that all contractors who were lagging behind due to mushy lands at the beginning of the construction, have been relocated successfully, and therefore currently, all 124 housing units which is the core part of the Appiatse township are being constructed.
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