Mining company handover resettlement houses project to two communities in Talensi district
Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited, a subsidiary of Shandong Gold has commissioned newly built resettlement houses to Biung and new Accra site communities in the Talensi District in the Upper East Region.
The resettlement project was constructed by Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited to pave the way for the company to commence large scale mining in the Talensi District.
The two communities were on the mining concession acquired by Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited, hence the need to relocate the residents as prescribed by the Mineral and Mining Acts.
The mining company has thus relocated a total of 56 families from the New Accra Site community, as well as 61 families from the Biung community, which were all within Cardinal’s operational area.
The Chief Executive Officer of Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited, Luis Santana said the company, apart from the construction of houses for the two communities at a new location, there is the need to include social amenities for the communities in order to make the livelihoods of the people comfortable.
He said: “The resettlement project was planned to improve housing infrastructure without necessarily changing the way of life and social interaction of the project affected people. And in a more cost-effective way of providing urban-type services such as electric power, improved water supply and sanitation, improved communities access roads and social services including schools, healthcare facilities, religious places of worship among others”
The CEO of the company Luis Santana added that Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited has successfully constructed a new 25km road from Balungu to the mining site and the new communities at a cost of $7 million in order to enhance the road network in the area.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor who was the guest of honor at the commissioning of the two resettlement projects, commended the mining company for sticking to the resettlement agreement and executing the same in an appreciable manner.
FROM: Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Talensi