Expand your community investment – AGA urged

Senior programmes Officer of Ford Foundation, Dr. Joseph B. Gitari has asked AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) to continue to expand its investment in health and welfare of its host communities.

According to him, the current production difficulties faced by the Obuasi mine should not be used as an excuse to cut back on the company’s investment in communities.

Dr. Gitari, who was in the country for a workshop on resource curse, made the appeal when he led participants of the Ford Foundation-sponsored international workshop on a visit to the Obuasi mine of AGA.

He praised the mining company for its social intervention programme to control malaria in Ghana, especially in the communities within which it operates. AGA’s Malaria Control Programme, which began in 2005, is currently being run in 22 districts across the country with Ashanti, Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Central as the beneficiary regions.

Dr. Gitari, who is in charge of global rights and Governance of the Foundation, said the mining company had done a good job with the malaria control programme, asserting that the forum was concerned about community investment such as the malaria project.

AGA Senior Vice President in charge of Sustainability, Fred Attakumah, took the delegation through the workings and activities of the company. He said the company had a total of 476 kilometer square concession with Obuasi, Binsere and Bekwai as divisions, pointing out that the concession falls within 80 communities.

According to him, AGA was mining 1,500 deep into the earth while huge investments had been made in underground infrastructure, adding that the resources of the mine had the potential to drive the mine from 50 to 100 years. Mr. Attakumah noted that apart from the malaria programme, AGA was into skill development training of the youth.

“Approximately 70 community members are engaged in training every year,” the AGA Vice President stated and added that the company had paid its dues in the area of road infrastructure.

Mention was made of the construction of Sansu community road, Apitikooko-Apitiso road, and Anyinam-Mawuli road among others. He disclosed that the company had also spent half a million dollars on water projects for the communities to better the living conditions of residents.