GIADEC sets up committees to ensure responsible bauxite mining

The governing board and management of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) have set up and inaugurated 19-member committees for the various bauxite communities where bauxite mining is going to take place or refineries are to be built. They include Asiakwa (Atewa) in the Eastern Region, Awaso in the Western North Region and Nyinahini and Mpasaaso, both in the Ashanti Region.

Managers of GIADEC say members of the committees were co-opted carefully, with a particular focus on sustainable and development mining, from sections of the community which have a direct interest in health, safety, protection of lives, preservation of forest reserves and grass-roots development. The selection therefore represents all interest parties in the affected areas fairly.

Each team has chiefs and other opinion leaders, metropolitan, municipal and district chief exectives, assembly members, district police commanders, forestry representatives, women’s group representatives, youth association representatives, community religious leaders and citizens among its membership.

The chief executive officer of GIADEC, Michael Ansah, spelled out the mandate of the 19-member committees. They are to be the field managers of the corporation, he said, liaising between GIADEC and the communities and ensuring that there is real-time response to all concerns and activities arising from mining.

The committee is also supposed to ensure that the projects are owned by the people in all aspects regarding preservation of forest reserves and habitat, sustainable practices, communication, job creation and economic and infrastructural development.

Akyem Abuakwa

The first 19-member committee was inaugurated on Wednesday in Atewa (Asiakwa), Eastern Region. The team from GIADEC, led by its chief executive and board members, was welcomed to a durbar at Asiakwa after they had paid a courtesy call on the queenmother of Akyem Abuakwa, Okyenhemaa Nana Adutwumwaa Dokuaa, who is also a board member of GIADEC.

Addressing the durbar, the Okyenhemaa praised GIADEC for the measures it has put in place so far to ensure all-inclusive governance of bauxite mining in the area. She was hopeful that this will bring much-needed jobs to people in the area.

Nana Adutwumwaa Dokuaa urged all residents to support GIADEC and advocate its growth.

The metropolitan host community for the host municipality, Akyem Abuakwa South, Honourable Kwadwo Ofori Sarpong, assured the team of total government support in security, logistics and local mobilisation to ensure GIADEC’s operational success.

After the swearing-in, members of the committee assured GIADEC that they would remain diligent and work hard to promote sustainable mining.

Awaso

The next stop was Awaso on Thursday morning.

Awaso is a bauxite mining community in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipality of the Western North Region. It has a history of close to 80 years of mining.

Ordinarily, people in the community and its environs would oppose any proposals of new mining, organising demonstrations and agitating against projects. Their historical resistance was prompted by a lack of development in the area, regardless of the contribution bauxite has made to GDP.

On 8 October, however, the team was treated to a durbar. According to the chief and people of the area, the welcoming reception was premised on their faith in GIADEC and the Nana Akufo-Addo-led government to deliver on their promises to local people.

The chief of Awaso, Nana Kwame Amponsah Debrah III, lamented the poverty in which most members of the community live. He called on the government to help raise living standards for his people. GIADEC offered the people the assurance that they will not renege on the promise to make mining beneficial to all Ghanaians, especially those who live closest to the mines.

Osei Adjei, the deputy chief executive of GIADEC, stressed that local people who qualify for any positions within the value chain will be given first priority in selecting staff.

Nyinahini

Nhyinahini in the Ashanti Region on Thursday afternoon was no different from Atewa and Awaso.

Two traditional rulers, the chief of Nyinahini, Nana Amanpene Boateng Twum and the chief of the Nkawie Traditional Area, Nana Kusi Amankwaa Marfo, joined hands in a durbar to welcome Michael Ansah and his team.

The visibly elated chiefs and people of the town praised President Akufo-Addo for his vision of re-engineering bauxite mining operations in Ghana and establishing new factories to refine and smelt the raw material in the material before export.

They urged GIADEC to pursue consistent engagement with all stakeholders to sustain the success story so far.

The district chief executive for Atwima Mponua, William Darko, expressed the hope that GIADEC will change the district’s economic profile. Members of the committee were sworn in and expressed their gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for bringing control of governance directly to the people.

Mpasaaso

History was made in the Ashanti Region when, for the first time in many years, the chiefs of Mpasaaso No1 and Mpasaaso No2 came together for a common purpose.

The two chiefs have been opposed to each other for many years, follwing a long-standing traditional dispute. But for GIADEC, they would not have agreed to meet.

The inauguration of the 19-member committee turned into a celebration of unity and peace as the chiefs agreed to bury their differences and come together to commission the committee. They urged the committee to work hard to protect the gains of unity made from now and help cement relations between the two towns from now onwards.

Jobs, infrastructural development, environmental protection, inclusive operations and sustainable practice were among the pointers by speakers from GIADEC.

Managers of the corporation hope that all of the committees in the four areas – Atewa, Awaso, Nyinanhini and Mpasaaso – will give of their best to protect local people’s interests.

Wilberforce Asare / Asaase Radio

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