Kwabena Darko-Mensah (middle) interacting with officials of the mining company
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has bemoaned the fact that after decades of mining, the level of development in the affected communities do not commensurate with the volumes of resources siphoned from such places.
He said roads and other infrastructure in communities in the extractive enclaves of the region were in deplorable states and that was an eyesore.
The minister, therefore, charged mining companies to support the communities in which they were operating and make them prosperous.
He made the statement when he visited Golden Star Wassa Limited as part of his work visit to the Wassa East District of the region.
He commended Golden Star, a gold mining company in the area, for initiating various corporate social responsibility projects geared towards improving the livelihood of the people.
He, however, urged them to stop what he called ‘menial projects’ like boreholes and make sure their catchment communities benefit immensely from their activities.
“This is why the reconstruction of the Tarkwa-Damang road in the Western Region by the Gold Fields Ghana Limited at a cost of about $27 million is commendable,” he added.
The minister was happy that Ghanaians were beginning to voice their concerns about the state of neglect by these multinational companies who make so much profit at the expense of the poor people.
The minister and his entourage also visited Daboase where he inspected some classroom blocks constructed by Plantation SOCFNAF Ghana Limited, a palm oil processing factory in the district.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Daboase
