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06.08.2022 Headlines

Because a mine is in Akyem doesn’t mean Akyems should work there even when they don’t qualify – GMWU Chairman

National Chairman of GMWU, Mensah Kwarko GyakariNational Chairman of GMWU, Mensah Kwarko Gyakari
06.08.2022 LISTEN

The National Chairman of the Ghana Mineworkers' Union (GMWU), Mr. Mensah Kwarko Gyakari has warned against what he believes is a timebomb in the mining sector that could explode at any time.

Speaking at the National Executive Council meeting of the union held at New Abirem, in the Eastern, he stressed that the notion that because a mine is in a particular community, only indigenes should be employed to work there is flawed.

According to him, that mentality if not rooted out will creep from the mining sector to other sectors such as education.

“There is something happening in the mining industry of which I know most of you may not be happy. That idea that because the mine is in Akyem and for that matter it is only Akyems who should work in the mines. The mine is in Obuasi and for that matter it is Adansi that should work in the mine. About a week ago, in Babiani there was demonstration all over place, where the people are saying they are the indigenes and so they should be employed to work in the mine there, and not outsiders.

“If we don't stop this behaviour, a time will come when the Ga people will also tell University of Ghana that this is their land and therefore they will not allow outsiders to lecture at the University, they should bring the Ga people to lecture. The Ashantis will also rise up to make such demand for KNUST. That will not augur well for us as Ghanaians,” Mr. Mensah Kwarko Gyakari warned in his speech at the National Executive Council meeting of GMWU.

The GMWU National Chairman insists that if for good reasons there is an opportunity for someone to get employed, that person should be employed on merit and not because the person is simply an indigene.

“We should not deny the local people, once they qualify. The idea that because I am a local guy and even though I don't have the skills to work l, but because the mine is in my town I should get employed, pose security challenge in the mining sector.

“We should be very careful not to do anything so that at the end of the day it will disturb the country,” Mr. Mensah Kwarko Gyakari.

Below is a copy of the speech read by Mr. Mensah Kwarko Gyakari:

Opening remarks by Mr. Mensah Kwarko Gyakari, National Chairman of the GMWU, at the National Executive Council meeting of the union held at New Abirem, in the Eastern

There is something happening in the mining industry of which I know most of you may not be happy. That idea that because the mine is in Akyem and for that matter it is only Akyems who should work in the mines. The mine is in Obuasi and for that matter it is Adansi that should work in the mine. About a week ago, in Babiani there was demonstration all over place, where the people are saying they are the indigenes and so they should be employed to work in the mine there, and not outsiders.

If we don't stop this behaviour, a time will come when the Ga people will also tell University of Ghana that this is their land and therefore they will not allow outsiders to lecture at the University, they should bring the Ga people to lecture. The Ashantis will also rise up to make such demand for KNUST.

That will not augur well for us as Ghanaians.

If for good reasons we think that there is an opportunity for someone to get employed, we should allow them to get employed on merit. We should not deny the local people, once they qualify.

The idea that because I am a local guy and even though I don't have the skills to work l, but because the mine is in my town I should get employed, pose security challenge in the mining sector.

We should be very careful not to do anything so that at the end of the day it will disturb the country. If the mine is here and they have to be employed, it is fine if they have to train them to get them employed, they should train them and get them employed. But the idea that someone in a mining town just thinks that because he is a trotro driver, he can drive an excavator in the mine is something that we should be careful about.

If we don't control this development showing its ugly head in the mining communities, as a country, it will create hug problems for us.

Another issue of concern is how some of our chiefs have made themselves recruitment agents, because you need to have their signature and stamp by his(chiefs) office before you are employed. They take peoples money who are not from the community, get them employed then the whole town will start complaining.

If we allow the companies on their own to do the right thing, for that I will praise the mining companies. No mining company will take money from you as a worker, if you qualify they will take you.

Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo
Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo

JournalistPage: EricNanaYawKwafo

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