The Appiatse community redevelopment project is ready as government constructs modern buildings to house the residents in the community.

Appiatse, a mining community in the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region, was in 2022 razed down by an explosion, compelling the government to provide makeshift shelters for the residents.

The government pledged commitment to redevelop the community and restore the residents by rebuilding the community.

The government, according to Minister-designate for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo" on Monday, April 29, disclosed that the first phase of the Appiatse community redevelopment project is on various levels of completion and will be commissioned on Thursday, May 2.

The Minister revealed that "124 housing units from one bedroom to seven bedrooms" have been constructed with additional modern facilities for the residents.

She listed the new facilities to include a "solar facility, community market, school and roads; even building materials that are sustainable and will give the place . . . a cool ambience and make it eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable".

Hon. Fatima Abubakar emphasized that the victims' "accommodation is ready and all of that is in this phase 1 that we are going to commission on Thursday".

She explained that the houses will be distributed to the residents according to the number of households and families discovered in a thorough research that was conducted by the government after the explosion.

She also disclosed that the government will construct 70 more houses in addition to the 124 housing units, explaining that they don't want any resident to be left out but rather ensure that everyone gets a new home.

"Some people were living in the peripheries, maybe living in a mud house. The person is not part of those at the epicenter, so his/her house wasn't destroyed but if we are going to build a house for everyone, we can't say because their mud house wasn't affected, they are excluded. No, we are doing as a model community so that the entire community is redeveloped.

"Once again, there were people whose houses were not affected by the explosion but due to the redevelopment plan, the government says it is constructing roads in the community. Therefore, even if your house isn't affected but when we look at the planning and the road construction or how we are designing the community will affect you, we tell them to agree with government to demolish it and build another one for you."

Fatima concluded that the Appiatse reconstruction will become "a model community for developing rural Ghana".