Anglogold builds water, sanitation projects for 8 communities
The Anglogold Ashanti Obuasi Community Trust Fund, a welfare fund under the mining company, has built and inaugurated water and sanitation projects valued at more than GH¢ 800,000 for eight communities in its operation areas.
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The sanitation and water projects followed the execution of last year’s educational projects for over a dozen communities and buses to 110 schools in 22 operative areas.
The projects included three 20-seater places of convenience with ancillary facilities at Akatakyieso, Kunka and Abompekrom, as well as drilled and mechanised boreholes with overhead tanks at North Nyamebekyere, Kokoteasua, Market Square, Tutuka Tiatiaso and Ayease, totalling GH¢ 870,726.58.
The Project Manager for the Trust Fund, Mr Nicolas Ayensu-Appiah, said the focus on water and sanitation was to build a healthy population and prevent a possible cholera outbreak through water-borne diseases and flooding.
The finishing touches to the project were influenced by the recent flood that killed over 150 people at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra and the need to prevent its recurrence at Obuasi and its environs.
The Managing Director of Anglogold, Ghana, Mr Fredrick Attakumah, admitted that despite the fact that the mines were under a limited operation following the closure of the old site, the company’s commitment to the communities could not be diluted.
He said the company’s social contract with the people, irrespective of its current predicaments, could not be compromised, adding that plans were afoot to ensure that each community within the catchment areas benefitted from the interventions.
Mr Attakumah cautioned, however, that expanding the facilities was contingent on how well the current ones were properly managed.
Sequel to that, each of the beneficiary communities had inaugurated maintenance communities which will collect tokens from the citizens to keep the facilities in good shape.
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The Omanhene of the Adansi Traditional Area, Opegyakotwere Bonsra Afriyie II, said illegal or ‘galamsey’ operations were affecting the fortunes of Anglogold and called on the communities to partner the company to halt those who encroached on its concessions to safeguard the resources.
The Trust Fund was established in 2011 by the mining company with support from the communities which chose their own projects to be undertaken for them.