Let?s Coalesce Against Illegal Mining?Hon. Edward Ennin

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By Jack Affram

IMG_7280 (2)Encouraged by the sustainability and community relations strategies of AngloGold Ashanti; Hon Edward Ennin, Member of Parliament for Obuasi East at the weekend called for coalition of progressive social and business partners to tackle, once and for all, the nagging problem of illegal mining. which is increasingly becoming a major fetter to development in the Obuasi municipality.

?As stakeholders with common objective to make Obuasi the most friendly, prosperous and safest municipality in the country, we should show leadership and resolve the challenges of insecurity and safety posed by the activities of the illegal small scale miners?, ?????? Hon Ennin said.

?Only few people, in fact tiny minority of the people in the municipality are engaged in illegal mining, so why should the majority of decent people in the municipality allow these ?irresponsible minority to take us for a ride, ridicule us world over? we need the good people to coalesce and stop it once and for all?, he said.

Hon Ennin, who has represented Obuasi in the past decade in parliament, made this remark when he paid a courtesy call on the Managing Director of Obuasi mine as part of his famailisation tour of companies operating in the municipality. On the mine, he visited the offices of the AngloGold Ashanti Trust Fund , Obuasi Management Training and the famous AngloGold Ashanti Technical Training center, which offers practical training for new engineering and mining graduates from the polytechnics, vocational and the universities.

The Obuasi East MP was full of praise for the company for its ? foresight in setting up the technical training center?, ?adding that ?it is certainly in right direction to lead your sustainability with such a well-equipped center to train and develop local skills to serve AngloGold Ashanti and other companies in the country. Please keep it up and don?t allow your current difficulties to ruin your objective??

Established in 2000, the center has trained more than 500 people, most of whom from the communities, for companies such as Ghacem, Accra Brewery, Golden Star Resources, Voltic Water and? Kinross Ghana, in addition to AngloGold Ashanti mines in Iduapriem and Guinea.

Hon Ennin was more than happy that in spite of its deep seated challenges, AngloGold Ashanti Community Trust Fund is funding education projects with? GHC 600,000($320,000) to expand access to modern education, which promises to benefit thousands of socially depraved children in the relatively remote farming communities.

The MP cannot be faulted for his happiness? ?because three of the beneficiary communities ?Ayease, Ahonsogyewodie and Jimisokrakaba are located right in the womb of the Obuasi East constituency.

In an earlier presentation to him, the Managing Director of the mine, updated the MP on the painful but necessary measures being implemented to ensure Obuasi?s survival, adding that ?we are collectively laying sustainable foundation to make Obuasi not only the? a major quality gold producer but ?as company of choice among our stakeholders?

Mr Enyan spoke about the increased activities of illegal mining activities and the toll that such activities have negatively taken on the company in terms of operation and cost, and appealed to the Member of Parliament and other stakeholders in the municipality to help combat the illegal activities and other criminal activities in the municipality. ??Let?s use our brains and brawns courageously and nib galamsey in the bud for our own good and future?, Mr Enyan said.

At the secretariat of the AngloGold Ashanti Community Trust Fund , Nana Ampofo Bekoe, Community Development of AngloGold Ashanti explained the modalities of the trust, saying ?projects are ?democratically? selected by the people in the communities themselves and approved by the trust?s steering committee and board, which AngloGold Ashanti has least control?.

Nana Ampofo told the MP that the trust fund, funded by AngloGold Ashanti last year with $2.9million, has provided eight Toyota buses to eight senior secondary schools to facilitate easy transportation of teachers and students to and fro school. The company directly funded a $35,000 IT Centre for the municipality and also last year topped it up with 120 laptop computers to both first and second cycle schools in the municipality.

He explained that the secretariat staffed, with? young but highly qualified and experienced team, has been set up to ensure that the trust fund is managed judiciously for the benefit of the people in the communities, saying ?this is the reason why ??we?ve to engage and work with all our stakeholders, including the Police, Municipal Chief Executive and Assemblymen, Chiefs, MPS and other politicians, to grow the mine for our mutual development?.IMG_7273

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