Nana Atta Brempong II interacting with journalists after the programme
Chief of Bompieso in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region, Nana Atta Brempong II, has appealed to the government to extend further the mining lease of Gold Fields Ghana Limited to continue operating the Damang mine in the region.
It would be recalled that early this year the government announced that it has taken over the Damang mine. It therefore rejected a request by Gold Fields to renew its 30-year lease for another three decades.
The gold mining company however, secured a 12-month lease extension.
Nana Brempong II, made it clear that the mining company’s lease ought to be extended further because Gold Fields has been of great help to its catchment communities.
“I do not know the nitty-gritty of the issue, but whatever it is, I am appealing to the authorities concerned to allow Gold Fields to continue operating the Damang mine”, the chief noted.
He was speaking at a brief ceremony to hand over of a 3-unit classroom block built by Gold Fields Ghana Foundation for the Bompieso M/A Basic School.
The GH¢673,000.00 classroom block has a staff common room and a headmaster’s office.
The chief mentioned one of the major projects by Gold Fields as the construction of the road from Bogoso Junction to Damang which has opened up the area.
“The company has also built many classroom blocks and given scholarships to majority of our students in various tertiary institutions,” he said.
Nana Brempong II was hopeful that the new classroom block would help to enhance access to quality basic education in the area.
For his part, the Relieving Operation Manager of Aboso Goldfields Limited, Frank Denkyi, disclosed that the Foundation has since its inception in 2004, invested heavily in its catchment areas, focusing on education, health, infrastructure, and community development
He said, “The Foundation has also offered scholarships to about 2,941 students”.
The Prestea Huni Valley Municipal Chief Executive, Matthew Ayeh, praised the Foundation for its sustainable development initiatives in its host communities.
The head teacher of Bompieso M/A School, Joseph Mensah who also commended Gold Fields Foundation for the project, promised to ensure that the classroom block is well maintained.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Bompieso