As part of efforts to ensure community buy-in and support for the activities of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) in its operational areas, the governing Board and Management of GIADEC has set up and inaugurated 4 separate 19-member committees for the various communities where bauxite mining and refining will be taking place.
They include Atewa in the Eastern Region, Awaso in the Western North Region, Nyinahini and Mpasaaso in the Ashanti Region.
The move follows the persistent resistance by Civil Society Organizations and community members against government’s plan of mining bauxite in areas like the Atewa and Nyinahini forest reserves in its quest to develop an Integrated Aluminum Industry.
In an interview with Citi Business News, the Chief Executive officer of GIADEC, Michael Ansah, said his outfit will do all it can to prioritize community engagement as it seeks to transform the economies of the various areas it will be operating in.
“The key thing is the community engagement, making sure the community is deeply involved, they understand what we are doing, that we have built a partnership of trust that will lead to us exploiting the resource in the right way with good environmental protection guidelines that will bring real prosperity for all. Again the purpose of the 19 member committees is to make sure we get a clear sense of the things the communities we work in need to cause real change. Is it schools, roads, hospitals or health centers?”
Government will involve over 30% of Ghanaians in Sinohydro projects – GIADEC CEO
Earlier this year, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC), Michael Ernest Ansah, said the government intends to involve a significant number of Ghanaian companies in the execution of projects under the Sinohydro deal.
There have been concerns that the majority of Sinohydro projects will be executed by Chinese nationals, given the country’s involvement in the deal.
But Speaking on The Point of View on Citi TV, Mr. Ansah, who is also a former New Patriotic Party (NPP) UK Chairman said subsequent projects will see more involvement of Ghanaian companies.
