Chirano Gold hands over projects to two communities

The Chirano Gold Mines Ltd (CGML) has handed over some development projects valued at about GH¢1.4 million that it undertook in some communities in its catchment area.

Among the projects are a Community-Based Health Planning Service (CHPS) compound and a staff quarters for the people of Akoti,   Etwebo and their surrounding areas.

Others are a six-classroom block each for New Obrayeko D/A Primary; Akaaso D/A Primary and  kindergartens for Kwameanimkrom and Lawehkrom.

The primary schools have facilities such as information and communication technology centres,  libraries, offices, kitchens, stores, washrooms and rain-harvesting systems with storage tanks.

Facilities in the kindergartens include offices, stores, washrooms canteens and resting rooms for the children.

The company also presented a large quantity of library books to the Akoti, Etwebo, Paboase, Anyinasie, Subri, Kunkumso, Kwanikrom, Lawerkrom, Akaaso and New Obrayeko schools to inculcate the habit of reading in  the schoolchildren. The books were  jointly donated by Mr and Mrs John Seaward, Julian Gardhouse and CGML.

The clinic has an out-patients department, recovery wards, injection room, consulting room, dispensary and records rooms with the needed equipment and facilities, while the nurses quarters has accommodation for three nurses.

Inaugurating the projects at a special durbar at Akoti-Etwebo, the

Vice-president and General Manager of CGML, Mr Ken Norris, said the handover of the projects was in fulfilment of a promise he made last year, when he took over as the new general manager of the company.

He assured the people that the company would continue to support new community projects within the catchment area as part of its commitment to improving the lives of the key stakeholders.

The general manager also said since the company took over the open pit (surface mine) from African Mining Services last May, it had  employed about 120 local people with majority of them from Akoti, Etwebo and Paboase.

Mr Norris added that even though 2013 promised to be an exciting year for CGML, the dramatic fall in gold prices on the world market  was a challenge for CGML.

This sudden and dramatic fall in gold prices has affected many gold mining operations, and in some cases resulted in the loss of employment at some gold mining companies in Ghana and elsewhere.

Mr Norris also said the CHPS compound built by CGML was the first of its kind in the area and was aimed at bringing health care closer to the people.

It was also in line with the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 which aim at reducing child mortality and improving maternal health care among the rural poor by 2015.

The Paramount Chief of Sefwi Chirano, Okogyeman Kwaku Gyamprah, who chaired the function, commended the company for the project and called on the beneficiary communities to develop a good maintenance culture to ensure the projects lasted.

Okogyeman Gyamprah, who is also the Council of State Member for the Western Region, urged the company not to use the decline in the world prices as an excuse to lay off workers but rather put in place pragmatic measures to sustain their operations.

Dr Toni Aubynn, Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, who was the guest speaker, commended the company for the  infrastructure it had provided for the communities in its catchment area.

He also said the mining sector engaged 20,268 people directly , out of which 334, representing two per cent were expatriates.

By Felix A. Baidoo/Daily Graphic/Ghana