Workers of AngloGold Ashanti hold entrepreneurial night
The Obuasi mine of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA), traditional authorities and the Obuasi Municipal Administration have jointly organised a sensitisation workshop to create awareness of the initiation and promotion of small-scale businesses.
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The workshop followed the determination and enthusiasm demonstrated by both current and ex-employees of AngloGold Ashanti to establish their own businesses in future.
Entrepreneurial Night
The one-day event, dubbed “Entrepreneurial Night”, was heavily attended by current and retrenched employees of the company, as well as representatives of the National Board for Small Scale Industries, the Obuasi Municipal Assembly, Technoserve, Ghana Chamber of Mines, market women, the churches and the Muslim community, the media and the local non-governmental organisations.
Company walking the talk
The Senior Manager at the Obuasi mine in charge of Sustainability, Mr Aboagye Ohene Adu, said in spite of challenges with operations at the Obuasi mine, the company was still committed to investing in the social interest of its workers and would continue to ensure that people in the communities in its catchment area benefited from its presence in the area.
He said the company was down-scaling operations at Obuasi and this had affected some employees working in the mines. He gave assurance, however, that management was doing all it could to ensure that the future of the affected persons was not put in jeopardy.
The five-man team
Mr Ohene Adu explained that a five-man team of which he was the chairman had been put in place to supervise the Obuasi Sustainability Rejuvenation Project. He said the team was currently collecting and collating information on the social and economic dynamics of the municipality and its surrounding communities. In addition, he said, the team “was also liaising with relevant stakeholders, including employees of AGA, the municipal assembly, the National Board for Small Scale Industries, private businesses and management of AGA to ensure that projects earmarked for employees and people in the communities became a reality.”
Members of team
The members who make up the rejuvenation team are from the AGA, the municipal assembly and the Adansi Traditional Council.
They were selected after a stakeholder workshop at Obuasi attended by senior executives of AGA, the Paramount Chief of the Adansi Traditional Area, Members of Parliament from the area and the Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive.
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“Their consensus formed of the project has empowered us to work hard for the people and give them skills to set up their own businesses. In the long run, Obuasi would become a hub for small scale businesses,” he said.
Objective
According to Mr Ohene Adu, the objective of the rejuvenation project “is simply to initiate and implement interventions that will facilitate the realisation of a sustainable community independent of mining within Obuasi and its environs.”
He said there were many opportunities in sectors such as tourism, agro processing, infrastructural development, health, quarrying and a lot more in both Adansi North, Adansi South and Amansie Central districts, all in the Ashanti Region.
He appealed to all interest groups to join hands with the team working on the Obuasi sustainability rejuvenation project, by assisting to identify, initiate and implement projects that would go to diversify the local economy.
Support
The Senior Manager, Human Resources of AGA, Mr Kwaku Awuku, who chaired the function, urged both internal and external shareholders of the mine, who attended the function to stand solidly behind the mine “so that we can grow and develop the municipality and the mine for our mutual benefit.”