Newmont gives police new transit quarters

Kenyasi (B/A), Aug. 13, GNA - The police have assured the management of the Ahafo Project of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) that the police would do its best to maintain peace in the Asutifi District.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Ofosu Mensah-Gyeabour, Director General, Research and Planning of the Ghana Police Service, commended the mining company for its support to the District Police Command in crime prevention.

Mr Mensah-Gyeabour said this when the mining company handed over a 140,000-dollar transit quarters to the District Police Command at a ceremony at Kenyasi Number One on Wednesday. He said the government could not achieve its development goals in an atmosphere of chaos and lawlessness and "investors will not commit their huge capital resources in a country plagued by acts of violence and other forms of criminality".

Mr Mensah-Gyeabour said it was important for the public to work in partnership with the police to create conducive atmosphere devoid of a feeling of insecurity and vulnerability at the hands of criminals, miscreants and delinquents. He said mining by NGGL had attracted thousands of people from various parts of Ghana to Kenyasi and its environs in search of employment. Therefore, the increasing population and industrial activities had brought about the need to increase the number of police personnel in Kenyasi, Ntotroso, Acherensua and Hwidiem to combat crime in the district. Mr Mensah-Gyeabour called for support from the general public towards the provision of logistics and infrastructural needs of the police.

Mr. Agbeko Kwame Azumah, Communications Manager of NGGL, said the mining company over the years had supported the police in combating crime and keeping the district safe. Newmont has been providing 60 liters of fuel each to the Kenyasi and Duayaw Nkwanta police stations per week, adding "the allocation to Kenyasi has increased to 120 liters following the donation of a fairly used Toyota Hilux pick-up to the station". Mr. Azumah said NGGL had rented a house for the police at Kenyasi for the past four years and it was in the process of renewing the rent. Two sets of computers and a printer together with their accessories have also been donated to the Kenyasi police station, he said. Deputy Commissioner of Police Seth Charles Oteng, the Regional Police commander, said due to the influx of people with varied character traits coupled with the rapid increase of the population at Kenyasi it had become necessary to post more police personnel to the area. Mr. Eric Addae, District Chief Executive, said crime prevention and combat was all-embracing.