GHACEM STARTS PROSPECTING FOR LIMESTONE...In Jomoro District (PAGE 20)

THE Ghana Cement Works (GHACEM) has begun prospecting for limestone in the Bonyele-Nawule Limestone Concession in the Jomoro District in the Western Region to ascertain the quantity and the quality of the limestone deposit in the concession. Limestone is used for the production of cement.
The 21-square mile concession was acquired about 20 years ago by the Western Limestone Products.
The limestone project is located in five communities, namely Kabenla Suazo, Bonyere, Egbazo, Ndum Suazo and Nawule.
The top management of GHACEM, Western Limestone Products and the chiefs and representatives of the towns held a meeting at Kabenla Suazo at the weekend after a tour of the project site.
The Strategy and Corporate Affairs Director of GHACEM, Dr George Dawson Ahmoah, told the Daily Graphic after the tour that GHACEM was carrying out the prospecting and if the result was positive, it would manage the quarry in accordance with the laws, regulations, permissions and approval from the appropriate agencies.
“All things being equal, mining will start before July 2009 with an estimated maximum quantity of 2,000 tonnes delivered to the Takoradi GHACEM factory annually for the production of quality cement,” he said.
“It is expected that this component of raw material will form an average of 25 per cent of the total production of cement,” he added.
Dr Ahmoah said GHACEM was committed to the use of local raw materials in the production of cement in the country.
He appealed to members of the affected communities to be patient since the company was aware of the payment of compensation to people whose crops would be affected by the mining of the limestone, adding that GHACEM was law-abiding.
Dr Ahmoah assured the people that both skilled and unskilled workers would be recruited from the communities located in the project’s catchment area.
“But we will not condone malpractice. We have an experience from where we are coming from, so we need your co-operation so that the work will go on,” he stressed.
The Chief Executive Officer of Western Limestone Products, Dr J.A. Addison, was happy that after 20 years of negotiations and the signing of the agreement with the chiefs and people in the area, the exploitation of the mineral was coming to fruition.
He said the visit of the top management of GHACEM was a clear indication that the project would become a reality.
Dr Addison noted that the project would lead to the rapid development of the affected communities and therefore called for their co-operation with GHACEM to create a congenial environment for work to progress smoothly.
The Managing Director of GHACEM, Mr Morten Gade, said the meeting with the chiefs and the people in the area marked a very important day, since it marked the beginning of the development of GHACEM factory in Takoradi, as well as the communities in the project area.
He attributed the situation to the foresight of Dr Addison, whom he described as one of the great industrialists in Ghana.
The managing director said Dr Addison contributed immensely to the establishment of GHACEM in Ghana about 41 years ago.
Mr Gade called for co-operation to ensure meaningful development in the communities, adding, “The more you co-operate, the more benefit you will derive from the project”.
“We are looking forward for your co-operation to enable GHACEM to help build Ghana,” he added.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Western Limestone Products, Mr J.H. Mensah, noted that the limestone project was a very big one which would benefit the people and the country as a whole.
The chief of Kabenla Suazo, Nana Kabenla Tendenle V, noted with delight that the project which was started a long time ago had become a reality.
He expressed optimism that the project would yield results for the benefit of both parties.