The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Benito Owusu-Bio, has stressed the need for Ghanaians to support the community mining concept, as it is one area that offers employment for the teeming unemployed youth in the country.
The Deputy Minister said close to 76,000 direct and 153,000 indirect workers are going to be engaged in community mines in the Obuasi Municipality, Adansi North and Amansie Central districts, and added that such a development is a plus to the Nana Akufo-Addo administration.
He was speaking at the launch of the Obuasi Municipal, Adansi North and Amansie Central districts community mines at Adaase near Obuasi.
“The promise by this administration to create jobs prior to the 2016 general elections has been fulfilled with the commissioning of the community mines,” he said.
Mr. Owusu-Bio reiterated the position of the government that no foreigner should be entertained in the community mines initiative, stressing: “Your operations become illegal if you allow foreigners to become part of the community mining enterprise.”
He announced that Community Mining Oversight Committees, comprising assembly members, nananom, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Minerals Commission and other stakeholders are going to be formed to oversee the operations of the mines.
Mr. S.K. Boafo, Board Chairman of the Minerals Commission, expressed happiness that, at long last, the community mining concept had come into being to support the youth, and also improve the government’s finances.
He was also happy that with the coming into being of the community mining concept, rampant deaths associated with illegal mining would be minimised, as responsible mining was now the order of the day.
Mr. Boafo charged those in charge of oversight responsibility of the mines to ensure that the places are neat at all times, since people from across the globe might want to come down to learn from Ghana’s experience.
Nana Opoku Ababio, Bekwai Adontenhene, who deputised for the Bekwaimanhene, Nana Osei Kwadwo Ababio, was full of praise of the government for the introduction of the community mining concept.
He called for peace among the chiefs, assembly members and the entire workers, so that the needed development would come their way.
The Adansihemaa, Nana Amonimaa Dede II, who chaired the function, was hopeful that Adansi and Amansie would experience the needed development with the coming into being of community mining.
She also thanked the President for his foresight in adopting the community mining concept.
The post Community mining will create jobs for Ghanaian youth -Deputy Minister appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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