The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Obuasi East, Faustina Amissah has admitted that AngloGold Ashanti has not done enough when it comes to employing youth at Obuasi.
This is in sync with complaints by the illegal miners at Obuasi that the company has refused to employ them, hence their resort to mining illegally on the AngloGold Ashanti concession.
Despite noting the AGA has not done enough in employing the youth at Obuasi, she made it known that it has through the Assembly helped the youth in technical training.
According to her, the Assembly sponsored those who wanted to learn hairdressing, welding and fabrication, tailoring and other trades but they stopped along the way, adding that others also completed their studies but felt reluctant to practice it because they did not appreciate the revenue they made because they came in bits and not in bulk.
Read Also: AngloGold Ashanti: Families of trapped miners cry for help
Faustina Amissah made the comments on Atinka 104.7 FM with Kaakyire Ofoi Ayim amidst the galamsey brouhaha at Obuasi.
It was reported that over 300 illegal miners had been trapped under AngloGold Ashanti concession at Aweam in Obuasi.
According to reports, the victims have been trapped under the pit for about a week without food or water and no one had come to rescue them.
The miners trapped under the pit at Aweam in Obuasi, accused AngloGold Ashanti of intentionally covering the pit to kill them.
But in response, AngloGold Ashanti debunked allegations by the illegal miners that it covered the mining pit to kill galamseyers.
In a statement to debunk the allegation, AngloGold Ashanti said unauthorized persons underground were able to exit on foot, via an existing ramp, through the main access of the mining area.
“No person underground has been confined in any way and the main exit ramp from the mine remains open. Obuasi Gold Mine’s management team has notified the relevant authorities and public security services and is working closely with them,” it stated.
AngloGold Ashanti on Monday, May 29,2023, seven illegal miners exited through the main access point on foot and are in the custody of the Ghana Police Service.
“Any unauthorized person underground is encouraged to leave the mine at any time by the exit points where public security personnel remain on standby,” it added.
While some of the family members and residents went to the AngloGold Ashanti, they complained bitterly about how the AGA had ignored the youth at Obuasi and employed ‘outsiders’.
But the DCE, Faustina Amissah explained that most of the trapped miners failed to come out because they feared they would be arrested or the gold they made would be taken from them.
She said while others genuinely had nothing to do, others still want to do illegal mining because it is lucrative despite training most of them vocationally.
Meanwhile, moving forward, she said she will continue to encourage the youth to learn skills in order to employ themselves, adding that more education will also help address the issue.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori