President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has inaugurated the Aboso community mining project in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region.
He also cut sod for the construction of a gold processing plant owned by Yellow Tailing Limited.
Speaking at the ceremony on Tuesday, President Akufo-Addo expressed government’s vision and commitment to improving development in the country, especially in the mining areas.
The President, who was on tour of the region, explained that the policy and programmes on community mining were to reduce the dangers of illegal mining, popularly called ‘galamsey’ and unemployment among the youth while creating wealth for the country.
“All over the country, we are implementing the programme, especially on youth employment. We will have a refinery here, the Yellow Tailing Ltd, to process the gold, which will also create additional jobs for Aboso and its environs,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
On the defunct Aboso Glass Factory, the President recalled that the Managing Director of GIHOC Distilleries, Kofi Juamah and some investors had visited the site on a fact- finding mission, but indicated that discussions had not been conclusive.
President Akufo-Addo, however, gave the assurance that government would continue to hold discussions and consultations on how to seek investment to revitilise the factory.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, reported that in 2016, government in recognizing the need to improve mining environmental governance, envisaged the community mining policy to train galamseyers who had destroyed Ghana’s water bodies, forest cover and vegetation and also degraded veritable lands.
He stated: “We are working with the Mineral Commission, Water Resource Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is a programme to help create wealth for the citizenry and government, and also leave a credible legacy for future generations.We aim at exploring the wealth from our resources and help government to pay royalties to our chiefs and communities.”
Earlier at Bamianko, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta, assured the chiefs and people of Gwira in the Nzema East municipality of the Western Region, of government’s desire to improve the road sector in the area.
Presently, he indicated that works on the 30-kilometre Gwira road were ongoing at the cost of GH¢15 million.
Mr Amoako-Atta gave the assurance at Bamianko on Tuesday, when President Akufo-Addo inspected ongoing works on the Gwira Ainyinase-Wiawso project, designed to open up the northern part of the Nzema East Municipality.
He said that the contractor had finished the first 10kilometers of the stretch and the second lot had also begun.
According to Mr Amoako-Atta, the construction of a bridge over River Ankobra from the Wiawso end would be beneficial as it would reduce travelling hours from Bamianko to Bibiani and Kutukrom corridors by three hours.
He assured that “we will continue to work for the early completion of the project.”
Mr Amoako-Atta said government was working hard to ensure that the 30km road was repaired to serve Asaasetre-Gwira-Gyampre corridors.
He said this was a bituminous surface. The Kutukrom-Tabakrom (50km) stretch had also been awarded and the contractor was mobilising to site while the Bamianko road (6.7km) will soon start.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, ABOSO
