September 19, 2019//-The Royal Society For Asante Culture and History (ROSACH), a professional and research group in Kumasi is calling on the government to uphold the interest of Tano-Offin communities in Ashanti Region as it exploits the huge bauxite deposits in the area.
The group in a statement makes it clear that, “As much as we support the idea of the Central Government to generate funds in the area to accelerate national development we are of the opinion that what has befallen the people of Obuasi, Ahafo Kanyasi, Tarkwa, Ayanfuri, Aboso, etc., is not repeated at the Tano-Offin area”.
To ensure that the Tano-Offin area (Nyinahin Bauxite area) does not suffer deprivations and receive its fair share of the income to be accrued from the mining activities, ROSACH demands the state to sign a social contract with the affected communities which entails:
- Permanent membership from the affected communities on the governing board of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation.
- Appointment and employment of people from the affected communities into top managerial positions in the Ghana Integrated Aluminum Development Corporation
- Train and employ people from the affected communities
- Comprehensive compensatory measures to affected communities such as: scholarships; provision of free social amenities; comprehensive resettlement plan; and, in-depth community engagement with affected communities.
“It is our firm conviction that if such measures being demanded by the affected communities are put into place the deprivations and poverty inflicted on other mining communities in the country will be avoided here”, ROSACH states.
The Tano-Offin bauxite deposits are estimated by mining analysts at US$270 billion and expected to run for many years.
By Oppong Baah, African Eye Report
