Construction of Appiatse community on course – Benito Owusu-Bio
The construction of a Green, Environmentally friendly and Sustainable model Appiatse Community is on course, Deputy Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio has indicated.
This followed series of meetings held to review designs with the Consultant by the Architectural & Engineering Services Limited (AESL).
Interacting with residents of the community during a townhall meeting at Appiatse, near Bogoso in the Prestea-Huni-Valley Municipality on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio expressed satisfaction that the project is progressing steadily and will be completed as scheduled.
Providing update on work done at the site so far, the Deputy Lands Minister stated that the first phase of the project which includes the layout of the community has been done.
He told the elders and members of the community that areas for markets, mosques, roads, hospitals and other integral social amenities have been demarcated on the master plan and plotted out on site.
When the preliminary works is over, Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio said the next phase of the construction will begin by July 15, 2022, during which the actual construction of buildings and roads will be done.
He noted that before the work begins, the reconstruction committee will hold final discussions with the community members during which the designs will be presented to them for their input.
He assured that their contributions will be factored into the construction of the community as government wants the project to suit their existing social life.
“By July 15, the full work will start. The real action of brick and mortar laying will be done in a month’s time. Arrangements for provision of water, electricity and other important things have been done. You will see carpenters, masons at the site. This townhall meeting will be conveyed again where the design will be shown to you for your input. It will be a modernized community where law and order will be upheld. We will design areas for kiosk and other things, he assured.
Before the townhall meeting, Hon. Owusu-Bio embarked on a tour of the site where he received briefing from the surveyor in charge of the project.
The architect Charles Blankson-Hemans, a representative of Ghana Institute of Architects and also a member of the Appiatse reconstruction committee briefed the Deputy Minister on progress of work done.
He noted with optimism that the construction will begin within thirty days and that the people of Appiatse will soon be living in a modernized and eco-friendly homes.
“We are ready to go. We are very certain that very soon Urban Roads would come to do the road network. Concurrently we are almost completed with the pre-contract drawings from AESL. Based on that we’ll go out and get three contractors to complete with the core area. We’ve ECG and community water and sanitation to come and define their lines. We will deliver to the community of Appiatse in such,” he said.
The Chief Executive of the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality, Dr. Isaac Dasmani dismissed the fears of some of the residents that their lands would be lost as a result of the reconstruction.
He assured them that any resident who loses a land would be reallocated and cautioned them against purchasing lands from individuals since the surveyors are still demarcating plots for development.
