Victims of Paebo dynamite explosion cry for help

Over 800 residents of Paebo, a suburb of Adoagyiri in the Eastern Region, whose houses and properties were destroyed by a dynamite explosion in December last year, say they have still not received support from government to rebuild their homes.

It would be recalled that on Wednesday December 23, 2015, many residents were rendered homeless at Paebo, following an ammonium dynamite explosion from an abandoned quarry.

Most of the victims have still not had decent accommodation a year on.

According to some of the victims, they have had no option than to abandon their homes and put up with relatives in another part of town as they cannot live in houses which have become death traps.

Member of Parliament for Nsawam/Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh, speaking to Class News, said he could no longer soothe the anger of victims.

He, however, indicated that the affected residents were poised to pour their anger on government in two weeks if they did not see any effort from officialdom to compensate them.

“The fact that NADMO provided some few roofing sheets to victims is not enough. Close to 800 residents have no place to lay their heads. When disaster befell Haiti, government donated $3million to them. Do the people of Haiti pay tax to the Ghanaian government? So why are Ghanaians rather being ignored? I, together with Nana Akufo-Addo, donated some roofing sheets to the victims. So, as a government that takes our taxes, they must do more. The least government can do is to give us half of the $3million they donated to Haiti. If the president can give away money during his campaign tours but is ignoring victims of such a disaster, then we can only give them a two-week ultimatum or we hit the streets to demonstrate. They will not take us for granted. We will do anything lawful until we are heard,” he stated.

Mr Dompreh also called on government to release the Adoagyiri, Ntoaso, Owuraku, and Akwadum lands in the Nsawam/Adoagyiri constituency that have been seized through an executive instrument by government but has been taken over by private individuals or face the wrath of the people.