The completion of this facility comes as a relief to residents, particularly those affected by the aftermath of floods resulting from the Akosombo dam spillage, which occurred in October last year.

The floods had a profound impact on over 13,000 individuals in the North Tongu district, leaving them in urgent need of assistance from government bodies and charitable organizations.

In addition to the Medical Centre, four housing units have also been constructed to accommodate medical personnel.

During the inauguration ceremony held on Wednesday, Michael Kofi Zigah, the District Health Director of North Tongu, expressed optimism about the health centre’s role in advancing healthcare accessibility.

He highlighted its significance in contributing towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals about healthcare delivery.

“This comes as a right intervention as one of the post-flood incidents in the district. I say it comes as the best intervention because post-intervention activities, one of the things we were looking out for as a health system is to make sure our people have improved access to quality maternal, neonatal, and child healthcare and to have access to other clinical and public health emergencies just as we experienced a few months ago.

“So an infrastructure is part of the resources to equip the health system so well that once the communities are displaced, once the community setting is a bit distorted, we are certain that with a health system in place like this continuously, we can provide the services that they require.”

“This is a clear manifestation of partnership getting Citi Foundation and all partners on board to get this facility. We want to assure them that this intervention here is going to reflect in the lives of the people of Mepe and North Tongu.

“The District Health Directorate and the Ghana Health Service is going to assure them that this facility is going to be put to good use,” he stated.

The management of Citi FM/Citi TV has so far unveiled three resettlement centres to aid those affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage.

Citi FM/Citi TV launched the Volta Relief Campaign on October 25, 2023, and later upgraded it to ‘OperationRebuild’ to mobilise relief efforts for the displaced victims.

Each resettlement structure, designed in a dormitory-style format, can comfortably house up to 300 individuals and is equipped with essential facilities, including washrooms. Each centre contains 8 dormitories.

These centres, completed through the generous contributions of listeners, viewers and corporate partners, stand as beacons of hope amid adversity for the flood victims of Akosombo.

Tokpo Resettlement Centre

The first centre, located in Tokpo within the Shai Osudoku Municipality, was officially inaugurated on January 17, 2024.

With a capacity to accommodate approximately 280 people, the centre aims to alleviate the strain on local resources by freeing up classrooms previously used as shelters, thus allowing students to resume their studies uninterrupted.

Ada Resettlement Centre

The Ada community in the Greater Accra Region’s Ada East District received the second resettlement centre under the ‘OperationRebuild’ initiative.

Commissioned by traditional leaders and a delegation led by Bernard Avle, General Manager of Citi FM and Citi TV, the centre offers shelter for displaced persons.

Kpando Torkor Resettlement Centre

The 250-capacity Kpando Torkor Resettlement Centre was inaugurated on February 3, 2024 at a cost of GH¢700,000, with significant contributions from Prudential Life Insurance.

The centres, conceived as temporary havens, will transition into fully equipped skills training facilities, providing invaluable opportunities for women and young people in the community.

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Several news publications and articles have largely blamed mining companies and industry players for the low level of development in mining areas.

According to Sulemanu Konneh, the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, successive governments have failed to ensure the development of communities with deposits of natural resources.

The Chief Executive Officer who made this statement when some executives of the Chamber paid a courtesy call on the Eastern Regional Minister Eric Kwakye Darfour, argued strongly that members of the Chamber regularly pay their revenues and royalties timely and promptly, which goes straight to the central government.

He stated that the government is supposed to use the revenue accrued to undertake developmental projects in the mining communities.

“The physical benefits of mining actually goes to the center. The laws governing mining indicates that the resources belong to the good people of the country whether you are in Bongo, Accra or wherever in the country and the resources are in Akyem it belongs to everyone and because of that when taxes and various levies and royalties are paid they are not left in the communities but they go to the center,” he said

“Through the advocacy of the Chamber for so long about two years ago a law was passed covering the administrative way through which the disbursement of the royalties to the communities but the structures through which the law will be enforced is not there. The law required we set up a Board at the National level and committees at the local level but these things have not been done after two years”

Mr Konneh, continued, “I keep asking myself where is the money because mining companies pay their levies. It’s hurting to mining companies when people visit mining communities and complain they do not see anything there. Mining is practically the most regulated industry in the country because they meet their obligations on a regular basis so we should ask government what those monies are used for”

Sulemanu Konneh then pleaded with the Minister to use his high office to advocate for the release of funds meant for developmental projects in mining communities to the district assemblies to undertake the planned projects for the communities to reap the benefits.

“If we really want to see development in the mining communities then we have to fully implement the law to the letter. We should have committed and competent people around the Board to think and decide what we can use those monies for. The monies should not be sitting in Accra, government should release the money to the districts on a regular basis for effective planning and implementation because we can not continue in the same way if we want to see change.”

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Chamber said it has intensified its engagement with key stakeholders to get the nation to channel its mineral resources towards sustainable development.

The Chamber of Mines is advocating for Ghana to adopt policies that will optimize the opportunities in the mining industry for sustained development.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Sulemanu Koney who was speaking at a  workshop for journalists in Kumasi called for a change of mindset about the mining industry.

“I don’t think that as a people we have leverage the mining industry optimally. There are opportunities for us to do this and the chamber is on course. The Chamber is waging a crusading engaging whoever will listen to us, we are engaging with the respective Ministers, we are planning to meet with the Economic management team of the country and hopefully we should have a very good conversation as to how to leverage out mining industry for a broader and sustained economic development”.

He indicated that Ghana must learn from South Africa and leverage its mineral resources for sustained development.

Mr Koney has also called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) as well as security agencies to help the regulatory agencies to sanitize mining activities in their respective areas.
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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The portal, which would be launched later this year, would support potential investors and local entrepreneurs with up-to-date and specific information to enhance the implementation of the local content regulations.

Mr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, who announced this at the 89th Annual General Meeting of the Chamber, said aside the significant fiscal contributions of mining to the economy, the industry was keen to create and grow a robust local supplier base.

He said the Chamber and its member companies had at various times taken voluntary initiatives to promote in-country expenditure on mining inputs, including machinery and equipment, engineering services, power and fuel.
In 2015, the mining industry achieved about 73 per cent of its planned local purchases per the local content regulations.

Mr Addo-Kufuor said there were opportunities for local manufacturing, which could create the necessary linkages with other sectors of the economy and further enhance the role of mining in national development.

“I will re-emphasize here that the Chamber’s preference is for suppliers to manufacture locally and supply into the value chain of member companies,” he said, adding that this would create multiplier impact for the economy.

He urged the government to invite businesses and investors through the ‘One District, One Factory’ policy to explore the opportunities in the mining sector.

On the local impact of mining expenditure across the value chain, Mr Addo-Kufuor said producing member companies of the Chamber returned $2.3 billion out of their realized mineral revenue of $3.25 billion into the country, representing 70.9 per cent.

Out of the $2.3 billion repatriated revenue, $1.8 billion was channelled through the Commercial Banking System and the remaining $500 million was ploughed back via the Bank of Ghana.
He said the producing mines spent $1.01 billion on purchases of goods and services, excluding diesel and power, in the country.

“The consecutive increase in spending on local goods and services by the producing member companies mirrors the Chamber’s commitment to promoting local content in the mining industry,” Mr Addo-Kufuor said.

The mining and quarrying sector was the leading source of direct domestic revenue with fiscal receipts up to GHC1.65 billion in 2016 from GHC1.35 billion in 2015.

In addition, total direct employment by the producing companies stood at 11,628, an increase of 16 per cent over the 2015 figure of 9,939.

“Out of this 98 per cent are Ghanaian nationals, further buttressing the commitment of member companies to make mining more relevant to our people,” Mr Addo-Kufuor said.

On illegal mining, Mr Addo-Kufuor reiterated the Chamber’s commitment and support to the fight to end illegal mining and suggested that the moratorium placed on small-scale mining by the Minister must be used to study and enhance the regulatory framework within which such mining activities take place.

The Chamber, he said, was willing to support the government to streamline and regulate the operations of illegal miners across the country.

He said regular monitoring of illegal mining prone sites with the support of the media, chief and community leaders should help the national effort to end the menace.

On his part, Mr John Peter Amewu, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, said transparency in the mining sector was critical to the positive image of the industry.

He said the perceived lack of transparency in the industry had been the underlying factor of acrimony between mining companies and their host communities as well as public suspicion that mining companies are exploiting the nation.

“Government, therefore, expects that as partners, we will be able to work together openly with mutual trust and devoid of any hidden tricks,” Mr Amewu added.

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Source: GNA

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