Prez of National House of Chiefs pledges support for Mining Sector Road Rehabilitation Secretariat

Ogyeawoho Yaw Gyebi XI

The Omanhene of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area in the Western North Region, Ogyeawoho Yaw Gyebi XI, has pledged to support the Mining Sector Roads Rehabilitation Secretariat to succeed in delivering good road infrastructure in mining communities across the country.

He, however, advised that the secretariat to remain focused on its duty in the mining enclaves in Ghana.

“Work and be proud of your sacrifices; mining companies will be ready to help. Work for the development of Ghana and you will be remembered. We will support you,” Ogyeawoho Yaw Gyebi gave this advice when he interacted with the members of the secretariat at his palace.

He also appealed to government to support the secretariat for it to deliver on its duty of transforming the mining communities.

Ogyeawoho Yaw Gyebi, who is also the President of the National House of Chiefs, argued that the secretariat needed resources for the staff to discharge their duties effectively.

The projects in the agrarian communities, he suggested, would improve transportation of food to market centres, grow the local cash economy and boost development in the mining enclaves.

In the health sector, the Sefwi-Anhwiaso Omanhene believed that good road infrastructure would help promote maternal health and improve quality healthcare delivery in the enclaves.

He noted that gold investments had transformed Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa, and believed that Obuasi, Tarkwa and Awaso enclaves could be given same attention and “not to die despite the gold potentials they possessed.”

He stated, “Awaso after about 40 years of mining, is still the same, look at the road. It’s bad; the same with Tarkwa- Takoradi roads. This country has been mining gold and other resources for decades, but, mining communities have lagged in development, especially with the status of the road infrastructure.

“Collaboration with the mining companies is good and it’s an agenda dear to our hearts. Indeed, you are doing a good job. It’s our future. As chiefs, we have responsibility to support you to deliver on your task for the benefit of all of us.”

The Coordinator of the Mining Sector Roads Rehabilitation Secretariat, Mr Frank Felix E. Akoto Awah, briefed Ogyeawoho on the task of the secretariat and said they are working closely with the Ministry of Finance playing monitoring role, Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) supervising and the mining companies being contributors to the fund.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is also playing supervisory roles, he explained.

According to him, mining enclaves to benefit from the projects include Tarkwa-Takoradi in Western Region; Ayanfuri-Dunkwa in Central; Kenyase in Ahafo and Awaso in Western North, adding that, the New Abirem project in the Eastern Region, was ongoing.

“We will work with you and elders. Since 1977, Awaso has been mining bauxite, but, it has no good roads and we need to do these road projects to aid development in the mining enclaves. Good roads promote the image of the society,” Mr Awah said.

Meanwhile, at the Ghana Bauxite Company at Awaso, the Production Manager, Kwabena Darko and the team, suggested that the secretariat consider regular sources of funding, legal framework and governance issues to ensure the sustainability of the project.