Gov't Urged To Probe Divestiture of Manganese Corporation

Workers of the erstwhile Tarkwa-based Ghana National Manganese Corporation (GNMC), and their former colleagues have called for a probe into the divestiture of the company, now known as the Ghana International Manganese Corporation (GIMC). The workers of the manganese mining company say the illegal activities involving manganese shipments out of the country, the treatment of workers and allegations of looting of state funds must be probed.

They are also protesting the sale of some assets belonging to the corporation, including a multi-purpose poultry farm and the management’s deliberate lack of maintenance of the world’s second largest manganese processing plant belonging to the corporation which had the potential for large scale employment.

A representative of the workers and natives told JOY FM that German investors who benefited from the mining company’s divestiture have reneged on their promises of job creation and increased output which resulted in the success of their bid to buy the corporation.

The workers are also demanding a probe into some assets supposed to have been returned to the state after divestiture, allegedly coveted by some officials of the previous government. These include buildings at Dansoman, New Achimota, Teshie Nungua, South Odorkor, Nyaniba Estates in Accra and Takoradi as well as others outside the country in addition to vehicles.

The Divestiture Implementation Committee is yet to respond to enquiries by JOY FM to ascertain the amount of money involved in the sale of the corporation and its assets. The corporation was reportedly sold for $4 million though it is said to be worth $18 million.