The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has stated that the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was working hard to transform the Ghanaian economy, hence, the introduction of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
He said: “The government is doing everything possible to ensure economic [the] transformation of this country to ensure the transformative of our education, giving prominence to the TVET sector.”
According to Osei-Mensah, gone were the days where we considered people who ply into the vocational and technical areas as less knowledgeable.
The above development, he equated as being primitive, saying, “it is not true; it is erroneous, and we have got to [do] away with this bad knowledge out of our heads. Those in the TVET areas are equally intelligent.”
Simon Osei-Mensah made these assertions at an AnloGold Ashanti (AGA) event in Obuasi, where he appreciated the efforts of AGA in up-scalingthe acquisition of skills among the unemployed youth, what he termed as social interventions in the areas of the TVET, adding that those who acquired the skills were guaranteed employment by AGA, and that was the direction the current government was moving.
The event was the launching of AGA’s ten-year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) for communities in its catchment areas of the Adansi enclave.
Themed “Development Contributing to Resilient and Socio-Economically Self-Sustaining Communities,” the ten year plan, which starts from 2022-2031, comes to replace the three-year Social Management Plan (SMP), which was developed to drive the mine’s social investment for the period 2019-2021.
The SEDP represents the Social Investment Strategy for the Obuasi Mine for the period 2022- 2031. It is in addition to the mine’s commitment of paying $2 for every ounce of gold mined into the AnloGold Ashanti Obuasi Community Trust Fund.
Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah appealed to illegal miners who enchroached on the concession of AngloGold Ashanti to back off, in order to prolong the operations of the mine in Obuasi.
According to Osei-Mensah, encroachment of the territory of AGA was among the antecedents which led to the closure of the mine in 2014.
He acknowledged that AGA had gone through a lot of challenges, especially, in the last decade, which culminated in the closure of the mine. Nevertheless, with the collaborative effort of stakeholders, the re-development of the mine started in 2018, which also led to the opening of the mine in January 2019, with the first gold pour happening in 2020.
He said: “Had it not been the effort of the people, such as the Managing Director, Mr. Eric Wireko Assubonteng, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Obuasi by now would have been turned into a ghost town.”
He has, therefore, made a clarion call to stakeholders in Obuasi to help nip this canker in the bud, since the operations of AGA had numerous advantages for the locals of Obuasi, Ashanti and Ghana at large.
Addressing the event, which was held at Obuasi, Mr. Richard Jordinson, SVP Ghana and Tanzania Business Unit, AGA, revealed that since the inception of the Obuasi Redevelopment Project, AGA had spent a whooping US$1,028.59 million, out of which 84.8 per cent being an amount of US$860.1 million, which had been spent in-country on Ghanaian companies, some of them being Obuasi-based businesses.
Jordinson told the audience that as the Social Management Plan drew to a close in 2021, AGA, through strategic consultation with its major stakeholders, developed a longer-term Socio-economic Development Plan for the next 10 years, emphasising that: “The longer-life of the mine, and the need to ensure all stakeholders benefit from a viable and secure mine.”
Ahead of the launch of the SEDP, the AGA authority said that the mine would continue to pursue strategic relationships with stakeholders to build resilient and socioeconomically self-sustaining communities through Improved Social 9 Development, Diversified and Sustained Local Economy, and Improved Partnerships.
“Our desired goal is to contribute to building resilient and socio-economically self-sustaining communities, collaborating with government, host communities and key stakeholders to make this a reality. I hope that we will be able to celebrate the numerous accomplishments and benefits that the 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan will bring to the Obuasi communities, and Ghana at large in the coming years.”
On his part, Eric Asubonteng, Managing Director, Obuasi Mine, expressed optimism that he was personally encouraged by the progress they had made in demonstrating their genuine commitment to the development of their host communities over the last three years, through the Social Management Plan.
Asubonteng announced: “I am also hopeful for the future, because we have a plan for continuing the good work in a structured and well thought through programme, through the 10-year Socio Economic Development Plan.”
He reminded the stakeholders of their common vision, stressing that the ten-year Socio Economic Development Plan presented them with an opportunity to rally around that common cause in pursuit of that shared vision, calling for continuation of the constructive collaborations, so that Obuasi and Adansiman could reap immense benefits from the ten-year SEDP.
In an address by Grace Jeanet Mason, South African High Commissioner to Ghana, where the AGA umbilical cord is located, she expressed her excitement at the launch of the SEDP for Obuasi.
According to H.E. Jeanet Mason, SEDP would improve the lives of the communities in the areas of education, job creation, agriculture, and provision of equal opportunities among others.
She acknowledged the role of traditional authorities in consolidating peace and bringing prosperity, and also consolidating in bringing dialogue and opportunities to the communities.
Delivering his special remarks, Opagyakotwere Bonsra Afriyie II, Paramount Chief of Adansi, lauded AGA for such a plan.
He appealed to residents of Obuasi to familiarise themselves with the SEPD, since the plan sought to put in place policies that would help them eke out a decent living.
According to Bonsra Afriyie II, a lot of mining companies had been to Obuasi before, since their elders signed leases dated 1800, but AGA had been exceptional in how they deal with the people of Obuasi, applauding the General Manager of AGA, Mr. Eric Asubonteng, for being transparent to him about happenings at AGA.
Whilst he appealed to the youth that illegal mining was not the only business they could engage in to survive, the Adansihene asked the government to be accountable to the traditional authorities about how royalties were being used.
