Akwatia, July 31, GNA - The chiefs and people in communities within the Ghana Consolidated Diamonds (GCD) concession areas, have declared their support for the takeover of the company by the Great Consolidated Diamond Limited (GCDL).

They have therefore appealed to President J. E. A. Mills and the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), to choose GCDL from among the competing companies to run the company.

In a letter of support to the Presidency, the chiefs of Akwatia, Boadua, Dwenase, Topreman, Adankrono, Kusi and Takrowase said the chiefs and people of the GCD concession areas had noted with great concern the devastating economic and social effects the collapse of GCD had had on them.

That was why they received with great joy the news that the company would soon come back to life.

They said having read the bid proposals of most of the 10 companies vying to take over GCD, they found that the Great Consolidated Diamond Limited, was most appealing.

They therefore overwhelmingly supported GCDL and were therefore appealing to the DIC to give them preference over the others and give them the "green light" to run and resuscitate the mine.

"Our support is based not only on the fact that it is a Ghanaian company, but we believe the company has the financial and technical means to revamp GCD to offer jobs to the unemployed and contribute towards the improvement of the national economy.

What was more, the letter said, GCDL planned to set up other ventures such as large-scale agriculture, fish farming and afforestation, which would employ a large number of the youth in the area, enabling them to earn meaningful livelihood, and also improve the lives of the people in the communities where mining activities would take place.

They expressed the hope and prayed that GCDL would be chosen from among the lot to take over GCD.

Signatory chiefs were Osabarima Kofi Boateng III (Akwatia), Barima Owusu Konadu II (Boadua), Barima Amoah Kuko Ntiakwa II (Dwenase), Barima Adomako Nyarko II (Topreman), Barima Sarpong Kumankuma II (Adankrono), Nana Kusi Boadum II (Kusi) and Barima Owusu Nketia II (Takrowase).