One does not need to be told that it takes the hard work and sacrifice of the individual to woo in foreign investors to the country particularly the northern parts ofthe country to work and create jobs and improve upon the local economy.
Established in 1995at theGbane mining community, theChief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the Yenyeya andPubortaaba, the two registered small scale mining entities, Mr. Charles TaleogNdanbon and Alhaji Awuduwere selected for a trip based on theirhard and decent work in the mining sectorto travel to China to study and adopt best practices in mining.
Background of Yenyeya and Pubortaaba Mining Enterprise
Speaking to this Writer on how the two registered small scale mining entities managed to perform the tricks of bringing the investor into the country to provide mining support services to them, the CEO of the Yenyeya Mining Enterprise , Mr. Charles TaleogNdanbon, explained that mining activities begun as reckless forms in the Gbane mining area in the Bolgatanga District now the Talensi District of the Upper east Region in 1995.
He indicated that the Yenyeya Mining and the Pubortaaba Enterprise were part of this group of people who commenced gold mining activities in the Gbane area and caught the monitoring eye of the Minerals Commission who stepped up sensitization programmes for all the galamsey miners at the Gbanecommunity inthe Bolgatanga District now the TalensiDistrict to form groups and register legally for concessions.
He indicated that the Minerals Commission subsequently blocked out the area for small scale mining which led to the formation of the Yenyeya MiningEnterprise andthe Pubortaaba mining Group. “Thus we both obtained small scale mining licenses to legally operate in the area,” he stressed.
The Beginning of Yenyeya and Pubortaaba Mining Enterprise Partnership with Shaanxi Mining Company Limited as an Investor to the Upper East Region
“As patriotic citizens of Ghana whilst in China, we worked hard andwe were able to woo the Shaanxi Mining company in China which subsequently followed up to Ghana toconduct feasibility studies and the commencement of business in the Gbane mining area,” the CEO Yenyeya Mining Enterprise indicated.
He noted thatfollowing the block-out then, Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd. was offered a mining support service license to provide managerial, financial, human resource and logistical support to the two small scale mining holders,Yenyeya and Pubortaaba.
A research conducted by this writer also revealed that the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd which offers the mining support services to the two registered small scale mining companies operatesunder the mother Shaanxi Province state business (Shaanxi Mining Company) with an employment base of about 20,000 people in Shaanxi province, China.
The mother company has partnered with lots of both state and private companies in many countries worldwide mostly in mineral exploration. It is part of these multinational establishments that it registered the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd. to partner the Yenyeya and Pabortaaba Mining Groups.
For the past ten (10) years, the Company had offered technical, managerial, logistical, haulage, laboratory and financial support to the Yenyeya and Pabortaaba Mining Groups, the two Ghanaian concessionaires to mine. So far a total of $150,000,000.00 has been invested in both technical and social issues of mining in the area
Standard Mine Development
Another research conducted by this writer also establishes that the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd which conducts underground mining has five shafts sunk including four vertical shafts, one decline, one processing plant installed with the capacity of milling over 2,000 tons of ore per day. It also has office and residential accommodation for staff, a large warehouse for storage of mining and other related equipment including a tailings dam constructed to contain waste.
Achievement of the Partnership
As at October 2018, the company had recruited six hundred and forty one (641) Ghanaians made up of competent Mine Captains, Ventilation Officers, Safety Officers, Shift Bosses and youth groups including young ladies from the mining community and beyond.
Corporate Social Responsibilities
The Yenyeya and the PubortaabaMining entities through their lobbying of the investor into the Talensi District of the Upper East Region ensuredthat the Companyperforms its Corporate Social Responsibilities. This led Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd constructing a bridge over the local ‘Oun’ river to ease movement of people especially students from the eastern mining communities (Tarkwa, Zalwore, and Datuku) to the schools in the western part (Obuasi and Kejetiaetc).
Apart from resurfacing and reshaping of the 6.5km road from Sheaga to the Gbane Mining Site in the Talensi District, the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd also constructed internal feeder roads at Gaare, Tindongo and Gbane communities and rehabilitated the Winkogo, Sipaat, Gorogo feeder roads. It also reshaped and surfaced the 8km Zuarungu-Namoaligo road.
The Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd also relocated a government school in the mining area by providing a new school block at the cost of GH¢190,000.00. As we speak now teaching and learning isbeing conductedin a very conducive environment.
Through the efforts of the two registered small scale mining groups, the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd is now partnering with the Talensi traditional council to construct a Secondary/Technical school at the Baare community to increase access to secondary/technical education. In addition very exceptional students across the district who are pursuing Medicine in Ghanaian universities are being supported by the company financially.
On Water, the two registered small scale mining groups ensured that the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd sunk seven boreholes at a cost of GH¢10,000.00 each in the mining Community which are all operational and serving the communities.
Additionally, the Yenyeya and Pubortaaba Mining entities managedto persuade the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd to make donation of Knapsack sprayers, fertilizer and wellington boot to the Talensi District Assembly yearly to award the gallant farmers on the Annual Farmers’ Day celebrations as part of its policy.
Apart from the above, Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd also donated 70 computers to some public institutions in the region to boost their Information and Communication Technology and fast-track service provision. These institutions included the Regional Hospital-20 computers, Regional Coordinating Council-10, Regional Police Headquaters-20, Nabdam District Assembly-10, and Talensi District Assembly-10
Aside the above achievements, the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd pays its property and business operation rates to the Talensi District Assembly up-to-date. For instance for the 2018 business year, thecompany paid GH¢46,000.00 to the Talensi District Assembly as Property and business operation permits fees. Also the Company pays its royalties to GRA, Accra as well as workers SSNIT contributions, among others.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that the achievements brought about by the Yenyeya and Pabortaaba Mining Groups through the Investor had contributed significantly to the improvement of the livelihoods of the Gbane community and the Upper East Region as a whole. The Internal Generated Fund of the Assembly had also increased. The CEOs of the Yenyeya and Pubortaaba Mining entities, Mr Charles TaleogNdanbonand AlhajiAwudu must be commended. There is the need for others to also emulate the shining examples of these two personalities so as to help complement government’s efforts in development.
BY SAMUEL ADADI AKAPULE
