Himan Students Union (HSU) of Prestea-Himan in the Prestea Huni-Valley District of the Western Region has given Golden Star Bogoso-Prestea Mining Company a week ultimatum to attend to their complaints of not employing indigenes of the communities they operate otherwise they would advised themselves.
Golden Star has a 17-year history of producing gold in Ghana.
Golden Star is an established gold mining company with two producing mines on the prolific Ashanti Gold Belt in Ghana. Both of the Company’s mines, Wassa and Prestea, are expanding to develop underground mines below existing open pit operations. This will enable Golden Star to transform into a high grade, low cost gold producer with strong exploration upside potential.
Golden Star Resources own 90% of the gold mine whiles Ghana has 10%.
Speaking at a press conference organized over the week end, Vice Chairman for the youth group, Mr Kwabena Okyere, hinted that even though the company had the formal licence from the government, the social licence which lies in the people is very skeptical.
“The youth in the community cannot find jobs, yet people from different parts of the country who are not directly affected by the operation of the company has dominated the work force”, he lamented.
He further explained that the company has not been able to exhaust section 2(J) of the Local Employment Agreement (LEA) which stated that “the company shall adopt a policy to provide preferential employment to community citizens when recruiting skilled workforce with the aim of increasing the percentage of community citizens in skilled workforce.
He pleaded with the Member of Parliament for Prestea-Huni Valley Constituency, District Chief Executive for the area, Western Regional Minister and other stakeholders to join in their cry in seeking redress for the communities.
Speaking to the Golden Star Community Affairs and Sustainability Manager, Mr Robert Gyamfi in a telephone interview with the reporter, Daniel Kaku, he said the company has received a copy of the youth’s press conference.
Mr Gyamfi added that the company’s relationship with the community is unbreakable and therefore saw no need for him to have a media encounter with the youth.
“Currently I’m on leave but we are going to meet them and address their concerns, the media encounter will not solve the problem at hand”, he added.
Source: GhanaWeb
