Wellbeing Of Our Host Communities Very Important

Mr Solomon Dery, Community Relations Officer for Azumah Resources Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of an Australian Mineral Exploration Company operating in the Upper West Region has said the wellbeing of host communities were paramount to their success.

He said the company had therefore placed high premium in its corporate social responsibility to the communities as a measure to improve their total wellbeing and also promote and sustain peaceful working relations amongst the two parties.

Mr Dery noted this during the 2017 Azumah Community Cycling Fun Game dubbed 'Tour de Cherikpong' which saw about 100 young cyclists participating in the event at Nadowli in the Nadowli-Kaleo District of the Upper West Region.

The 20-kilometre event started at Cherikpong through Tangasia and Yiziiri communities before ending at Nadowli town with participants properly dressed in their reflective jackets offered the company.

Mr Dery said the event which started in 2013 was to help promote healthy lifestyles among members of the communities as health personnel come to share some key health information with the participants at the end of the event.

He said since 2013, the company doled out mouthwatering prizes to all participants especially winners of the annual cycling contest, adding that this year, the company was giving out 15 bicycles comprising four Phoenix and 11 Chinese Lady's bicycles as well as solar lamps costing the company a total amount of GHC16,000.00.

He said from first to 15th position would each receive a bicycle and a solar lamp, while the remaining participants would also take home a solar lamp each.

The Azumah Resources Community Relations Officer stressed on the company's commitment to environmentally friendly exploration activities and however noted that illegal mining activities was becoming a threat to the company's concessions and appealed to the security agencies to live up to their task to arrest them.

Meanwhile, 29-year-old, Master Godfred S. Dery, a native of Cherikpong-Vuyiri community won the 2017 edition of the Azumah 'Tour de Cherikpong' cycling competition and took home a Phoenix bicycle and as solar lamp as his prize.

18-year-old Master Vincent Baleera of Yiziiri community and 31-year-old Master Gregory Yelbuori of Sampina community came second and third in the competition respectively.

They equally took home one Phoenix bicycle and a solar lamp each as their prizes.

Master Godfred S. Dery, the ultimate winner thanked Azumah Resources Limited for organizing the competition and said it would help promote unity among the communities themselves and the company.

He was happy that within an hour of cycling, he won for himself a bicycle and a solar lamp and appealed to his colleagues to endeavour to participate in the competition next year.