Bogoso Mine Employs Racist, WACAM Protests

Accra, Aug. 2, GNA - A celebrated racist, who was forced to leave the country because of his white supremacist tendencies, has sneaked back to be employed as Chief Security Officer of Golden Star Resources Bogoso/Prestea Mine.

Mr Harry Ferrari, Former Chief Security Officer of Newmont Gold Ghana Ahafo Mine, who referred to an employee as "Black Monkey" and was forced to leave the country following protestation by the Paramount Chiefs of Kenyasi Number One and Kenyasi Number Two and their people, is now back as the Chief Security Officer of Golden Star Resource at Prestea.

A petition Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM) and Youth For Action Ghana (YAG) sent to the Minister of The Interior, a copy of which was made available to the GNA, said: "By employing a known racist as the Chief Security Officer with a record of having been pressured to leave Ghana, the Company has shown gross disrespect for the people of Ghana and Ghanaians must see this as an assault on our collective dignity."

The petition said "the re-employment of Mr Ferrari in the Mining Sector of Ghana further betrays the Ghana Chamber of Mines' insensitivity to the racists' attitude of expatriate miners and thus makes the Chamber complicit of racism".

The petition, signed by Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, Executive Director of WACAM and Mr James Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr, Executive Director of YAG, condemned "the continued stay and employment of people like Mr Ferrari, who benefit from our mineral resources and show gross disrespect towards our people".

The petition called on State institutions to improve on their monitoring roles to ensure that expatriate employees in the Mining Sector respected the dignity and pride of Ghanaians. "This is our country and those who will not respect us must be shown the exit immediately."

The General Manager of Golden Star Resources Bogoso/Prestea, Mr David Partridge told GNA that Mr Ferrari was engaged by the Company in June 2007. 2Aug.07