Some of the demonstrators
SOME RESIDENTS of Wassa Akyempim in the Wassa East District of the Western Region are up-in-arms against Golden Star Wassa Mine, a mining company operating in the district.
According to the residents, mostly the youth, the mining company has allegedly reneged on its promise to offer the unemployed youth jobs in the company.
The youth, therefore, expressed their displeasure by a demonstration against the company yesterday.
The convenor, Kwasi Mensah, asserted that since the mining company was established in the area decades ago, it has refused to offer the residents jobs.
He explained that most of the residents have the requisite qualifications and are competent enough to fill some vacancies in the company but they have not been engaged.
“The company, however, employs people outside the Wassa Akyempim Community which we see as unfair treatment being meted out to our people by the company,” he added.
He revealed that the Akyempim community and the mining company once signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on employment but the company has purportedly failed to honour its promise.
He lamented that the mining company has destroyed all their farmlands which used to be their source of income.
“But the mining company has taken over most of the people’s farmlands and the situation has rendered most of the youth in the community unemployed,” he alleged.
FROM Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi