Obuasi mine: Days of encroachment over – Akufo-Addo declares
President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said encroachment of land by illegal miners will no longer be tolerated.
The President gave the assurance when he reopened the defunct Anglogold Ashanti Mining company in Obuasi on Tuesday.
Addressing a gathering at the reopening of the mine, the President said the rule of law works in Ghana and assured AngloGold Ashanti that it can “look forward to a safe and secure mining environment” devoid of galamsey activities.
One of the major concerns of the people in Obuasi is the poor nature of the road and how the hundreds of millions of dollars gotten from the mining activities have not benefitted them directly.
Addressing that concern, the President said the situation was unfortunate and charged AngloGold Ashanti to take interest in the Obuasi township and make it aworld-class mining community.
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Asumah Kyeremeh, urged residents of Obuasi to be cautiously optimistic because the expected benefits from the mining activity may not come overnight.
Like the president, the Minister also called on the townsfolk to support the mine to succeed.
The President in the runup to the election promised to reopen AngloGold Ashanti to create jobs and revamp the local economy, a promise he fulfilled on Tuesday.
Some $881 million has been injected by the government with some $1.6 billion expected to be pumped in the company as part of moves to revive the once defunct mining firm.
Addressing officials of AngloGold Ashanti, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the natives of Obuasi, President Akufo-Addo gave the strongest assurance about the sustenance of operations at the mine.
“The sequence of events that led to the closure of this company will not recur under the watch of this government,” the President said.
Government is expected to make some $2.16 billion revenue over the twenty-two year period from the mining company in royalties and withholding tax.
The first phase of the reconstruction project is expected to run for twenty-two years with the first gold expected by end of 2019.
Source: Myjoyonline