[ 2012-02-26 ]

Minister encourages Aboso Goldfields
Damang, (W/R) Feb. 25, GNA - Ms Sherry Ayittey,
Minister of Environment, Science and Technology,
has commended the Aboso Goldfields Limited (AGL),
Damang in the Western Region, for honouring its
corporate social responsibility.

This follows a working visit to Damang on Friday
during which she assessed the company's operations
and projects for the community.

The Minister was first taken to the east tailings
storage facility of the mine, which is where the
residue from the gold processing plant is stored.

She then visited an 18 hector oil-palm plantation
located on a reclaimed tailings storage facility,
which has been handed over to the Kyekyewere
Community.

The Minister later paid a courtesy call on the
Chief of Damang, Nana Amoakwaw III and elders his
elders.

She was accompanied by Mr. Daniel S. Amlalo,
acting Executive Director of Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Mr. Ransford Sekyi,
Director of Mines, EPA, and top officials from
AGL, Damang.

Briefing the media after the visit, Ms Ayittey
said the rationale for her visit was to ensure
that the rights of citizens of communities where
mining activities were undertaken were respected
as enshrined in the constitution.

The Minister said the Government was keen about
issues on the Environment, therefore, her Ministry
would ensure that companies who violate conditions
of their environmental permit and terms of their
contract were checked.

She praised AGL, Damang, for their commitment to
the communities in which they operated, especially
the oil palm plantation project, which is being
managed by a women's group from Kyekyewere.

The Minister said this would encourage women from
engaging in illegal mining activities, (galamsey)
which exposes them to dangerous chemicals such as
cyanide.

She, however, called on the company to provide the
women's group with an oil palm processing machine
and a pick up truck to help them produce palm oil
to support their families financially.

Mr. Francis Nyame, Environmental Manger of AGL,
Damang, said as a leader in sustainable gold
mining, the company would do all it could to put
measures in place to curb any environmental
effects of its activities.

He said resources such as fertilizers and farm
implements would be made available to the farmers
regularly.

Nana Amoakwaw III, Chief of Damang, said the
development of the community should not be left on
the mining companies alone, adding that the
community would contribute its quota to speed up
their development projects.

He appealed to the minister to construct the road
linking Tarkwa and Damang, which he said, was
posing health hazard to the people because of the
dust its generates.

Source - GNA

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