By: Felix Cofie
Chiefs from the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area in the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality have petitioned the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to probe the dormancy in operations of the Future Global Resources (FGR), a Mining company in Bogoso-Prestea-Huni Valley of the Western Region.
According to the Chiefs, the lease agreement is not being followed and judging from the level of operations of the company, the miners operations will soon come to a halt and this may lead to unemployment, underdevelopment among others which they are concerned could degenerate into full-scale security crisis in the area if nothing is done.
Speaking on behalf of the Chiefs, Chief of Himan PRESTEA, Nana Nteboa Pra IV said the company is abondoning it operations and Corporate Social responsibilities in the area.
Nana Nteboa Pra IV expressed their readiness to assist the Mine in any way they can, to have the company running again, even if it means injecting some capital into their operations.
He stated that they want to also record success stories from the Mining company as recorded in other communities with Mining companies saying “we know that when they start working effectively, we will also see development and that’s what we all want”
The Chief in his submission applauded government for stating in the 2024 budget to build and repair road and various mining communities of which the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality is a part of.
Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines, George Mireku Duker on behalf of the sector Minister assured that the Ministry will probe the concerns by the chiefs and take necessary actions to address the situation.
“We will not take this lightly or sweep it under the carpet. We will ensure that we address this concern and get to the root of the it” he stated emphatically.
He promised that, the Sector Minister, Samuel A. Jinapor, will be briefed on issues raised and the other party being FGR will also be invited to state their part of the story and help make better decisions on the matter, which also foster good working relations in the area.
He commended the chiefs for not taking matters into their own hands but following due protocols to get their grievances resolved.
