General News of Sunday, 16 July 2017
Source: XYZ
2017-07-16
Opagyakotwere Bonsra Afriyie II, Chief of Adansi Traditional Council
Anglo Gold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine is in its current predicament as a result of corruption and indiscipline Omanhene of Adansi Traditional Council, Opagyakotwere Bonsra Afriyie II has revealed.
The company in 2014 laid off its workers as part of cost saving measures. The move was part of measures that the company said was to make Obuasi mine more profitable.
But addressing members of a newly formed Adansi-based pressure group known as Adansiman Progressive Association in his Palace Thursday afternoon, the Adansihene said: “In Ghana because of corruption and indiscipline we mess up with everything. In the year 2004 RANGOLD were supposed to have taken over the Mine from then AGC.But some of our own people made sure Anglo Gold had the nod. I’m told that RANGOLD were the highest bidder among the two companies but because people were going after their stomach Anglo Gold were chosen and as a result, this where we all find ourselves now.”
“Anything they[AngloGold] say doesn’t add up, one thing I want to make clear to you is that for about 120 years of mining, what is still left underground in terms untapped ore is almost the same what they’ve mined so far, therefore Obuasi has a future, Adansi has a future but our only problem is how to get the right people to mine for us now is the problem,” he added.
He also cautioned individuals to be wary of fraudsters with the pretext of securing them jobs in the company.
“When I came back from the US what I heard was that Anglo Gold will begin operations in June/July hereabouts so people were just rushing into my Office with their resume for me to lead them but I tell them I haven’t heard anything. Before I left for the State, we met them(AGA) in Accra and they made us aware that, there are some environmental issues they needed to address,if those issues are not sorted out, there is no way the Environmental Protection Agency will give them the permit to operate. Even monies they need to commence operation are not readily available so it has taken the President who has since been in constant talks with RANDGOLD to come on board”.
