The paramount chief of Sefwi-Chirano in the Western North region, Okoagyeaman Kwaku Gyanprah III, has taken a swipe at Ghanaian parliamentarians over the current state of affairs at the August House.
Okoagyeaman Kwaku Gyanprah III does not understand why parliamentarians are referred to as honourable members, yet their mannerisms are bereft of the title they bear.
The paramount chief has subsequently asked the parliamentarians, who are on recess, to behave as honourable members.
“I will urge the Ghana parliament; they are honourable members, so they should behave as such. Taking a majority or a minority does not bring me anything, so I will urge all the parliamentarians, especially the speaker, to do the honourable thing so that Ghana can go forward.
Okoagyeaman Kwaku Gyanprah III made these pronouncements at the 2024 National Inter-Mines First Aid and Safety Competition when he was delivering his closing remarks as the chairman of the event.
On the theme “Safety! Our Collective Responsibility,” the event was held under the auspices of Asante Gold Chirano Ltd., the Chamber of Mines, the Minerals Commission, and St. Johns Ambulance.
The competing mining companies were four, namely AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Ltd, Golden Star Wassa Ltd, Preseus Mining (Ghana) Ltd, and Asante Gold Chirano Ltd. Each mining company presented a community team, and they battled it out. Each mining company was involved in a simulation exercise, depicting how to respond to emergency situations.
Kwaku Gyanprah III stated in his address that the attitude towards safety at home reflects at the workplace.
He named slips, trips, and falls as the leading cause of injury at home or the workplace.
Hammering on the need to upscale safety in the mining industry and beyond, the traditional leader asked that each and every worker belongs to a family, hence the need to protect such workers from injury.
“We must remember that each worker is someone’s loved one; no one should get hurt, and we all deserve to go home safely. We need to look out for our relatives, colleagues, and workers and proactively take steps to prevent incidents and establish a safer workplace for everyone.”
The General Manager of Asante Gold Chirano Ltd., Ing. Alfred Asante Yamoah, noted in his welcome address that the event showcased expertise, innovation, and commitment to saving lives.
According to Ing. Yamoah, per the theme of the occasion, safety, our collective responsibility is a stark reminder that safety is a shared commitment across every level of the mining industry, wherever one finds himself or herself.
Safety, Ing. Yamoah continued, is a goal that is achieved together, adding that one cannot put a value on safety. It is priceless.
“This competition embodies our collective commitment to promoting first aid awareness, enhancing emergency response capabilities, and fostering a culture of safety,” he remarked.
The General Manager of AGCL asked every individual to be vigilant and situationally aware.
On the inclusion of the community teams, he explained that such an approach reinforces the mining industry’s commitment to improving the lot of our host communities and, in this case, equipping everyone with first aid because emergencies can happen everywhere.
