Newmont gives govt GHc50,000 for June 3 disaster victims

Newmont Ghana, as part of its corporate social responsibility, has presented two separate cheques amounting to GHc70, 000 to the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

The first cheque of GHc50, 000 is to support the victims of the June 3 disaster at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle which killed about 150 people and injured many others, while the remaining GHc20, 000 is meant to support the environmental activities of the ministry.

Presenting the dummy cheques to the ministry at a short ceremony in Accra, witnessed by the sector Minister, Mahama Ayariga and other senior management officials of the ministry, the Regional Vice President of Newmont Africa, Johan Ferreira, said the donation was to fulfill a pledge he made during the World Environment Day celebration to assist the victims of the recent disaster and activities of the ministry.

He said the amount would help to cater for the hospital bills of the individuals who survived the disaster to meet their health needs.

Aside from the donation, Mr Ferreira said Newmont was providing training on risk assessment and mitigation during emergencies, as well as training some personnel of the Ghana Fire Service on fire fighting techniques.

He entreated all Ghanaians to be good stewards of the environment to leave a good legacy for posterity.

The sector minister, Mr Ayariga, who received the donation, said the money would be immediately paid into the Disaster Account which had been created by the government.

He said the GHc20, 000 which was donated to the ministry would be given to the 48 Engineers Regiment to support the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to desilt all the choked drains in Accra, to prevent flooding in the city.

Mr Ayariga, who expressed gratitude to Newmont for the donation, further told the company that “your support today should not be a one-off programme but continue to donate to assist government to pay for the school fees of children of the deceased of the Circle disaster”.

He said the government would create a trust fund to raise funds to support the education of the children who lost their parents through the disaster.

Mr Ayariga appealed to other corporate organisations to emulate the gesture of Newmont Ghana, and donate to support the victims who survived the disaster.