Paebo explosion victims appeal to gov’t for support

Residents, who were affected in the December 23, 2015 Paebo dynamite explosion, are appealing to the government to urgently come to their aid.

They grieve that almost a week after the incident, they still sleep in the open, in spite of the harsh weather, “but the government has been silent.”

“We are on our knees and pleading with the President and his government to urgently come to assist us,” one of the aggrieved residents told Class News’ Eastern Regional correspondent, McAnthony Dagyenga, on Tuesday, December 29, 2015.

The aggrieved residents, together with elders of the Adoagyiri town, had met at the durbar grounds to express their worries to the government through the media at Paebo.

Contrary to information given by the Eastern regional officers of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) that assistance has been accorded the more than 1,200 displaced people, the residents said they have not been offered any place to relocate in the interim.

NADMO Regional Director, Ransford Owusu Boakye, had said his organisation had made available the Catholic Youth Organisation (CYO) centre for the residents “but they refused to be relocated.”

The MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Mr. Frank Annor Dompreh, expressed disappointment in the government for delaying in responding to the plight of his people.

“The citizens around the area are still in a state of shock and despair, since the day, for the long awaited support and relief from responsible government agencies, is yet unknown; this delay is rather undue and highly unacceptable,” the MP said.

Mr. Annor Dompreh urged the authorities to expedite action in releasing “adequate quantities of relief items meant for our people”.

The chief of Adoagyiri and Ankobeahene of Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area, Okoanadwo Afutu Dompreh II urged his people and the affected persons not to give political colour to the happenings, but unite and fight for fair attention and redress from the government.

Over 1,200 residents have been displaced following the ammonium nitrate explosion last Wednesday.

The explosion left one person dead and 26 others injured with two of them in very critical condition.

The two are still on admission at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the Koforidua Regional Hospital, respectively.