Abosso Goldfields Limited (AGL) in the Western Region has employed 153 people from its host communities from January to date despite the challenges the company is confronted with as a result of the Covid-9 pandemic.
Abdel Razak Yakubu, Regional Manager, Sustainable Development Project of AGL, described the initiative as a point of pride for the company.
Razak Yakubu was speaking at the first consultative committee meeting organized this year for the company’s host communities at Huni Valley in the region.
It was attended by chiefs, queenmothers, assembly members and unit committee chairpersons from about nine host communities of the company.
“We can build the schools and roads, but if we don’t make the community part of the company, the community members will see Goldfields as foreign. So since we started operations in Ghana, we made it a point to always have engagements with people in our host communities,” Razak Yakubu indicated.
He said the method of employment was to pass the vacancies to the people through the consultative committee to ensure transparency.
He mentioned that the company was constructing a 350-bed capacity dormitory for the Huni Valley Senior High School to help deal with the double track system.
“The company continues to offer scholarships and bursaries to students and also assist teachers in diverse ways,” he added.
Mrs. Gladys Sarkpoh, Plant Metallurgist of the company, took the participants through the safety concerns with regard to the use of cyanide in extracting gold.
“Because we transport the hazardous product through the roads in the communities, it is necessary that the people be aware of the dangers associated with cyanide,” she stressed.
She explained that from time to time officials from the company visited the communities to educate them on what to do in case there was cyanide spillage.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Prestea Huni Valley, Isaac Dasmani, commended the company for consistently supporting its host communities and improving the living standards of the people.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Huni Valley