GOLD FIELDS Ghana Limited (Tarkwa Mine) has completed a number of development projects for 10 rural communities in its catchment area in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality and the Prestea-Huni Valley District in the Western Region in its 2009 financial year.
The projects cost GH¢ 2.8 million.
The communities are Tarkwa, Samahu, Abekoase, Tebe, Huniso, Pepesa, Brahabobom, New Atoabo, Akoon and Awudua.
The projects numbering 26, included the rehabilitation of the Samahu-Pepesa road, sinking of three wells at New Atoabo, Brahabobom and Samahu, provision of ceilings and furniture for existing classrooms at Huniso, Awudua and Brahabobom and the rehabilitation of the Ntakasu bridge.
The mining company has also offered assistance to the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to construct a Geological Engineering Laboratory at Tarkwa, upgraded community centres at Samahu and Abekoase, constructed a link road and bridge for Tebe, rehabilitate the Tebe roads and a community centre at Huniso.
It has so far spent GH¢ 15.2 million on community development projects since the inception of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation in 2002.
The foundation was established to ensure that the communities in which the company operates reap sustainable benefits from the mine through investment in socio-economic projects.
Speaking at the inauguration and handing over of the projects at Abekoase, the General Manager of Gold Fields Ghana (Tarkwa Mine), Mr Peet van Schalkwyk, said it was the desire of the company to see improvement in the living conditions of residents of these communities and their neighbours.
He said the company was still partnering its contractors to assist in the development of the communities.
In the last financial year, he said, Banlaw Africa Limited, Engineers and Planners (E&P), Sandvik Mining and Construction and Allship Company Limited assisted in various ways.
Mr Schalkwyk expressed the hope that the contractors would continue to assist Gold Fields in the development of its stakeholder communities.
The general manager said the Sustainable Community Empowerment and Economic Development Programme (SEED), a five-year community development plan for its primary stakeholder communities was in the fourth year of its implementation.
The programme, he explained, placed emphasis on building the capacity of the beneficiary communities in order to improve on their economic and social status.
Also, he said, the scholarship scheme instituted in the 2005/2006 academic year for deserving and needy students in the communities to pursue further studies at the vocational, senior high school and tertiary levels of education was being sustained.
He said 166 students had so far benefited from the scholarship scheme and new beneficiaries would soon be selected for this academic year.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, said the projects clearly demonstrated the mining company’s commitment to ensuring that communities in its operational area received maximum benefit from its operations.
“Indeed, by the provision of these projects, the company has bequeathed to the communities and the entire Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal and Prestea-Huni Valley District assemblies a lasting legacy which will be enjoyed by generations after the company has ceased to operate in the area, ” he said.
Mr Aidoo urged Gold Fields Ghana and other stakeholders, particularly the municipal assembly, to do a checklist to ascertain the current condition of the projects already provided and how useful or otherwise the projects had been to the respective communities.
The findings, he noted, would be very useful for the review or continuation of the provision of the projects.
He called on parent/teacher associations and school management committees to constantly meet to evolve programmes and strategies that would ensure that what the communities got from their social partners and stakeholders were not only well maintained and used for the purposes for which they were provided, but also ensure that quality standards were maintained long after the social partners had handed them over to the beneficiary communities.
The Apintohene, Nana Kwabena Ango, said Gold Fields Ghana (Tarkwa Mine) had been enjoying a peaceful atmosphere as a result of the mutual understanding and cooperation existing between management of the company and the mining communities.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
55 APPRENTICES GRADUATE AT UMAt (PAGE 20, DEC 9)
FIFTY-four apprentices from mining companies operating in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality and the Prestea/Huni Valley District of the Western Region have completed a-four year trades men training programme at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in Tarkwa.
The training programme was organised by the Western Region Traineeship Programme in collaboration with the mining companies which selected the beneficiaries from their host communities.
The aim of the training programme is to provide the country with competent people to handle the high demands of the trade skills required for the mining and associate industries.
The subjects they went through included bench fitting, machining and repairs, engineering drawing and components, engineering science, mathematics, transmission systems, beam, stub axle, steering components and braking system, internal combustion engines and vehicle layout, English Language and report writing as well as hydraulics.
Others were fuel injection systems, heat treatment, welding and fabrication, lifting principles, plant electrics, suspension systems, epicycle gear and automatic transmissions and pneumatics.
The rest were first aid, fluid transmissions, maintenance planning, plant installation, small plant, power shift and shuttle transmissions as well as computer studies.
Since 2002, tools and equipment, computers and their accessories, worth US$ 33,944.62, have been bought for the university to be used in the running of the courses.
In July 2007, the sponsoring companies purchased one double-cabin Toyota vehicle which is being used by the training coordinator to liaise with the companies to ensure effective coordination of the programme.
A ceremony has been held at Tarkwa for the second graduation and certificate presentation to the 54 trained apprentices who completed course programmes at the UMaT recently.
Speaking at the ceremony, a lecturer at the University of Mines and Technology, Mr Bernard Kumi-Boateng, assured the people who did not have any skills to take part in the mining jobs not to be despondent and throw up their hands in despair because they had no formal training for mining, which was a specialised field.
He said there were several sections/departments in the university where these people could be offered less than a year’s programme to give them skills that would enable them to work in the mining industry.
“I can say with absolute confidence that the University of Mines and Technology has departments with competent teaching staff that can train these unskilled people in the communities to fit so well in the various mining industries available in less than one academic year”, he emphasised.
Mr Kumi-Boateng urged mining companies that were not part of the training programme to liaise with the chiefs, opinion leaders and the labour office to identify the unskilled indigenes of the communities in which they operated and sponsor them for the training.
Also, he said, the companies would have to sign a memorandum of understanding with UMaT to train such people while they in turn made some resources available to the university.
He said the companies would have to absorb them after the training whenever there was vacancy in any of the sections for which they had been trained.
The Programme Training Coordinator, Mr James Tettevi, explained that infrastructure development started in the university in 2006 and that the programme had to be moved to the university’s basic schools for classes. The workshops where they had practicals and demonstrations were affected and some practical lessons had to be deferred.
Mr Tettevi explained that the development which had to take about 18 months to complete, ran into years and that now that most of them were being completed, the workshops and classrooms which were used by the programme were now earmarked for other purposes dear to the heart of the university.
He, therefore, appealed to the university to get them additional classrooms, and a room to be developed into a demonstration workshop for practicals.
The Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Chief Executive, Mrs Christina Kobbinah, urged the organisers to ensure the sustenance of the training programme to equip the teaming unskilled youth in the municipality with the required skills to make them productive.
An Assistant Registrar of the University of Mines and Technology, Mr Andrews Doku, said the mining companies and the university were playing very important roles to ensure the success and sustainability of the programme.
He urged the mining companies to obtain permission from the university to construct a big lecture theatre on the campus for the programme.
The training programme was organised by the Western Region Traineeship Programme in collaboration with the mining companies which selected the beneficiaries from their host communities.
The aim of the training programme is to provide the country with competent people to handle the high demands of the trade skills required for the mining and associate industries.
The subjects they went through included bench fitting, machining and repairs, engineering drawing and components, engineering science, mathematics, transmission systems, beam, stub axle, steering components and braking system, internal combustion engines and vehicle layout, English Language and report writing as well as hydraulics.
Others were fuel injection systems, heat treatment, welding and fabrication, lifting principles, plant electrics, suspension systems, epicycle gear and automatic transmissions and pneumatics.
The rest were first aid, fluid transmissions, maintenance planning, plant installation, small plant, power shift and shuttle transmissions as well as computer studies.
Since 2002, tools and equipment, computers and their accessories, worth US$ 33,944.62, have been bought for the university to be used in the running of the courses.
In July 2007, the sponsoring companies purchased one double-cabin Toyota vehicle which is being used by the training coordinator to liaise with the companies to ensure effective coordination of the programme.
A ceremony has been held at Tarkwa for the second graduation and certificate presentation to the 54 trained apprentices who completed course programmes at the UMaT recently.
Speaking at the ceremony, a lecturer at the University of Mines and Technology, Mr Bernard Kumi-Boateng, assured the people who did not have any skills to take part in the mining jobs not to be despondent and throw up their hands in despair because they had no formal training for mining, which was a specialised field.
He said there were several sections/departments in the university where these people could be offered less than a year’s programme to give them skills that would enable them to work in the mining industry.
“I can say with absolute confidence that the University of Mines and Technology has departments with competent teaching staff that can train these unskilled people in the communities to fit so well in the various mining industries available in less than one academic year”, he emphasised.
Mr Kumi-Boateng urged mining companies that were not part of the training programme to liaise with the chiefs, opinion leaders and the labour office to identify the unskilled indigenes of the communities in which they operated and sponsor them for the training.
Also, he said, the companies would have to sign a memorandum of understanding with UMaT to train such people while they in turn made some resources available to the university.
He said the companies would have to absorb them after the training whenever there was vacancy in any of the sections for which they had been trained.
The Programme Training Coordinator, Mr James Tettevi, explained that infrastructure development started in the university in 2006 and that the programme had to be moved to the university’s basic schools for classes. The workshops where they had practicals and demonstrations were affected and some practical lessons had to be deferred.
Mr Tettevi explained that the development which had to take about 18 months to complete, ran into years and that now that most of them were being completed, the workshops and classrooms which were used by the programme were now earmarked for other purposes dear to the heart of the university.
He, therefore, appealed to the university to get them additional classrooms, and a room to be developed into a demonstration workshop for practicals.
The Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Chief Executive, Mrs Christina Kobbinah, urged the organisers to ensure the sustenance of the training programme to equip the teaming unskilled youth in the municipality with the required skills to make them productive.
An Assistant Registrar of the University of Mines and Technology, Mr Andrews Doku, said the mining companies and the university were playing very important roles to ensure the success and sustainability of the programme.
He urged the mining companies to obtain permission from the university to construct a big lecture theatre on the campus for the programme.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
GOLDEN STAR ESTABLISHES OIL PALM PLANTATION (PAGE 20, DEC 8)
GOLDEN Star Resources (GSR) Limited, a mining company, has established a 790-hectare oil palm plantation as a community smallholder plantation for farmers in the Mpohor Wassa East District of the Western Region.
The plantation was established in 2006 at the cost of US$ 1.8 million and a total of 104,000 oil palm seedlings have so far been raised for the project.
Smallholder farmers numbering 132 have been allocated four-hectares each of the plantation to manage for their own benefit.
Traditional authorities in the area have promised to release 8,774 hectares freely for the project, 5,800 hectares of which have already been released.
The project has also provided employment for over 310 contract employees within the mine’s catchment areas and is meant to help reduce poverty through employment generation and create wealth through sustainable agri-business.
It will also develop a sustainable alternative livelihood scheme for the communities with contributions emanating from mining.
A company, Golden Star Oil Palm Plantation (GSOPP) Limited, has been established as a subsidiary of Golden Star Resources Limited to manage the plantation.
A ceremony was held at the weekend for the allocation of plots on the plantation to 63 smallholder farmers at Wassa Ateiku.
In an address read on his behalf by the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Mr Ben Aryee, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda said the Government had not taken a back seat in this respect.
He said it had proactively initiated the development of 10,000 acres of oil palm, 6,000 acres of which had already been developed in the Prestea-Huni Valley area, adding that this had created 7,000 jobs.
In this regard, he said the Government’s policy required mining companies to put in place alternative livelihood programmes designed to enhance the economic and social wellbeing of the communities among which they operated, in fulfilment of their corporate social responsibility.
Alhaji Dauda said that, in addition to the mining activities, would augment employment generation while the mine was in operation and also provide a replacement of economic activity after the mine was closed. It would also prevent or at least minimise the likelihood of the development of the dreaded “ghost mining towns” phenomenon.
“Indeed, classic Ghanaian cases can be cited at Bibiani, Tarkwa and other mining towns in this area, which had socio-economic activities virtually halting when mining activities slowed down or stopped”, the minister explained.
The results, he said, were unemployment, poverty and in some cases, even complete abandonment of the once thriving communities.
“Against this background, this initiative by Golden Star Resources to create a sustainable community-based agri-business through the development of oil palm plantations to provide economic livelihoods in its stakeholder communities, both during and after the mines have closed is a laudable one”, he said.
The Vice-President (Operations) of Golden Star Resources, Mr Dan Owiredu, explained that the GSOPP had been conceived as a major innovative smallholder plantation development project and a flagship in corporate social responsibility.
He said on the basis of its community engagement and support policy, the company was promoting through GSOPP an approach that ensured the full participation of and total benefit to the people.
“This project is a true example of a strategic partnership under which the chiefs freely offered their lands and support, whilst GRS committed itself to promoting and investing into the cultivation of oil palm to create employment and wealth for the people”, he said.
Mr Owiredu said as a major feature, the GSOPP had developed a unique business model based on community consultation and focused on creating immediate employment and long-term income that had attracted support from a range of stakeholders.
Essentially, he explained, this business model ensured that oil palm development was carried out in a more sustainable, environmentally friendly and socially responsible manner.
To help fund this major agricultural project, he said the Golden Star Resources had steadily invested in a number of community projects through a Community Development Fund into which the company paid a charge of a US$ 1 per ounce of gold sold and 0.5 per cent of its pre-tax profits.
This special allocation of funds, he explained, was separate from the revenues the mine’s operations paid in the form of royalties to the government, which for the past five years amounted to US$ 27.9 million from the company’s two operating mines at Bogoso and Wassa Akyempim.
Mr Owiredu said the company was looking for development partners to enable the company achieve and accelerate a target rate of establishing over 500 hectares per annum to benefit more communities.
The Member of Parliament for Wassa Mpohor East, Mr A.E. Amoah, commended the mining company for the establishment of the project, but urged the company to develop a special farming project for the young women in the area.
The Omanhen of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area, Osagyefo Kwamina Ennimil V1, advised farmers in the area to embrace the oil palm project wholeheartedly to help improve their living conditions.
The plantation was established in 2006 at the cost of US$ 1.8 million and a total of 104,000 oil palm seedlings have so far been raised for the project.
Smallholder farmers numbering 132 have been allocated four-hectares each of the plantation to manage for their own benefit.
Traditional authorities in the area have promised to release 8,774 hectares freely for the project, 5,800 hectares of which have already been released.
The project has also provided employment for over 310 contract employees within the mine’s catchment areas and is meant to help reduce poverty through employment generation and create wealth through sustainable agri-business.
It will also develop a sustainable alternative livelihood scheme for the communities with contributions emanating from mining.
A company, Golden Star Oil Palm Plantation (GSOPP) Limited, has been established as a subsidiary of Golden Star Resources Limited to manage the plantation.
A ceremony was held at the weekend for the allocation of plots on the plantation to 63 smallholder farmers at Wassa Ateiku.
In an address read on his behalf by the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Mr Ben Aryee, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda said the Government had not taken a back seat in this respect.
He said it had proactively initiated the development of 10,000 acres of oil palm, 6,000 acres of which had already been developed in the Prestea-Huni Valley area, adding that this had created 7,000 jobs.
In this regard, he said the Government’s policy required mining companies to put in place alternative livelihood programmes designed to enhance the economic and social wellbeing of the communities among which they operated, in fulfilment of their corporate social responsibility.
Alhaji Dauda said that, in addition to the mining activities, would augment employment generation while the mine was in operation and also provide a replacement of economic activity after the mine was closed. It would also prevent or at least minimise the likelihood of the development of the dreaded “ghost mining towns” phenomenon.
“Indeed, classic Ghanaian cases can be cited at Bibiani, Tarkwa and other mining towns in this area, which had socio-economic activities virtually halting when mining activities slowed down or stopped”, the minister explained.
The results, he said, were unemployment, poverty and in some cases, even complete abandonment of the once thriving communities.
“Against this background, this initiative by Golden Star Resources to create a sustainable community-based agri-business through the development of oil palm plantations to provide economic livelihoods in its stakeholder communities, both during and after the mines have closed is a laudable one”, he said.
The Vice-President (Operations) of Golden Star Resources, Mr Dan Owiredu, explained that the GSOPP had been conceived as a major innovative smallholder plantation development project and a flagship in corporate social responsibility.
He said on the basis of its community engagement and support policy, the company was promoting through GSOPP an approach that ensured the full participation of and total benefit to the people.
“This project is a true example of a strategic partnership under which the chiefs freely offered their lands and support, whilst GRS committed itself to promoting and investing into the cultivation of oil palm to create employment and wealth for the people”, he said.
Mr Owiredu said as a major feature, the GSOPP had developed a unique business model based on community consultation and focused on creating immediate employment and long-term income that had attracted support from a range of stakeholders.
Essentially, he explained, this business model ensured that oil palm development was carried out in a more sustainable, environmentally friendly and socially responsible manner.
To help fund this major agricultural project, he said the Golden Star Resources had steadily invested in a number of community projects through a Community Development Fund into which the company paid a charge of a US$ 1 per ounce of gold sold and 0.5 per cent of its pre-tax profits.
This special allocation of funds, he explained, was separate from the revenues the mine’s operations paid in the form of royalties to the government, which for the past five years amounted to US$ 27.9 million from the company’s two operating mines at Bogoso and Wassa Akyempim.
Mr Owiredu said the company was looking for development partners to enable the company achieve and accelerate a target rate of establishing over 500 hectares per annum to benefit more communities.
The Member of Parliament for Wassa Mpohor East, Mr A.E. Amoah, commended the mining company for the establishment of the project, but urged the company to develop a special farming project for the young women in the area.
The Omanhen of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area, Osagyefo Kwamina Ennimil V1, advised farmers in the area to embrace the oil palm project wholeheartedly to help improve their living conditions.
PROBLEMS AFFECTING DEVELOPMENT IN WESTERN REGION (PAGE 20, DEC 8)
THE Western Region has five problems militating against its socio-economic transformation.
These are the poor road network, chieftaincy disputes, land litigation, illegal gold mining and currently, the unprecedented sale of lands around the catchment area of the oil field.
Past governments tried their best to solve these problems, while the present government is also doing what it can to confront these pressing issues.
But out of these problems, the most worrying situation is the poor road network in the region, even though attempts have been made to improve the situation.
This reporter has had the opportunity to criss-cross the region and can say that the road network situation in the Western Region, particularly in the rural areas, is not the best.
The irony of the situation is that most contractors who are awarded road contracts in the region abandon them after inspecting the roads, while others start and abandon them midway, while others do shoddy work on them.
It is said that the region’s difficult terrain as well as rainfall pattern are contributory factors to this problem.
Therefore, it has been suggested that a special package or preferential treatment should be given to road construction in the Western Region to attract road contractors to the region, otherwise the region would continue to suffer as far as road construction is concerned.
The Western Region has a total feeder road network of approximately 5,500 kilometres, out of which 3,149 kilometres are engineered, with 861.6 kilometres partially engineered and 1,458.1 kilometres un-engineered.
In 2007, 38.27 per cent of the region’s roads was described as good, and this improved to 39.49 per cent in 2008.
The percentage of a fair road network in 2007 was 14.89 per cent and was increased to 22.21 per cent in 2008, while the poor road network in 2007 was 46.82 per cent which was reduced to 38.39 per cent in 2008.
This year, routine maintenance will be done on 1,756 kilometres of road, while there will be spot improvement on 51.21 kilometres.
A total of 24.50 kilometres of roads in the region will be rehabilitated this year, while 37.70 kilometres will be re-surfaced and 16 bridges constructed.
There are also plans to rehabilitate some of the cocoa roads in the region this year.
In all, a total of 260.6 kilometres of the cocoa roads have been planned for surfacing.
In November last year, a total of 430.2 kilometres were awarded for reshaping at a total cost of GH¢ 848,451.62.
On the state of the highways in the region, some major road projects are ongoing, which include the reconstruction of the 56-kilometre Sefwi Bekwai-Ashiem-Asankrangwa Road.
The road being constructed by Messrs Midwest Contract Works, involves a contract sum of GH¢ 45.3 million and is 30 per cent complete.
The road will have double seal bituminous surface, while major bridges and pipe culverts would be constructed to improve safety; that is expected to be completed next year.
The 53-kilometre Asankrangwa-Enchi road is also being reconstructed at an initial cost of GH¢ 24 million and it is expected that the cost would rise to GH¢ 72 million as a result of variations.
It will also have a double seal bituminous surface, while major bridges, box culverts and pipe culverts will be constructed with dangerous and sharp curves being eliminated by massive cut and fill.
About 35 per cent of the work on the road has been completed and the whole project is expected to be completed between 2011 and 2012.
There are other major road rehabilitation projects slated for next year, which include the reconstruction of the 95-kilometre Tarkwa-Bogoso-Ayamfuri Road.
Tenders for the road project were expected to be opened between November and December this year, and estimated to cost GH¢ 76 million.
The road is to have asphalt, while narrow and weak bridges will be reconstructed.
The accident spot at “Cobbold Hill” will be greatly improved, while all major intersections will be redesigned to promote safety.
The project is expected to commence between March and April 2010 and completed between March and April 2013.
It is expected that after the reconstruction of the roads, transportation of goods and services between the northern zone and the south would be greatly facilitated, while immeasurable socio-economic benefits would be derived.
The reconstruction of the 110-kilometre Agona Junction-Elubo Road is another major project that needs attention in the region.
The project which is expected to begin in June, next year and completed in June 2012, is to be funded with a loan facility from the World Bank.
In respect of the District Capital Roads Improvement Project, a total of 40 kilometres of roads are being executed in the Western Region at the cost of GHҐ 991,722.00, while approval has already been given for the surfacing of the Sefwi Wiawso and Asankrangwa town roads.
Addressing the Western Regional House of Chiefs recently, the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, solicited the cooperation of the chiefs in solving the problems of the region to ensure the rapid development of the region.
He cited the chieftaincy disputes, land litigation, illegal mining, poor road network and the unprecedented sale of lands as some of the problems.
Mr Aidoo explained that the Western Regional Coordinating Council was to facilitate the overall development of the region by effectively coordinating, monitoring and evaluating the activities of the ministries, departments, agencies as well as the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and non-governmental organisations in order to improve the quality of life of the people.
As such, he said, the council had some administrative and development planning functions to perform.
“With this important and challenging role that the Regional Coordinating Council has to play in the development of the region, it goes without saying that it can only do that in collaboration with other stakeholders and the regional house of chiefs is one of such important collaborators”, he emphasised.
Therefore, the expectation is that the chiefs would collaborate effectively with the Regional Coordinating Council to solve the numerous problems, as a prerequisite for a meaningful rapid socio-economic as well as road infrastructure development of the Western Region.
People in the region deserve a better road network to commensurate their contribution to the national kitty.
These are the poor road network, chieftaincy disputes, land litigation, illegal gold mining and currently, the unprecedented sale of lands around the catchment area of the oil field.
Past governments tried their best to solve these problems, while the present government is also doing what it can to confront these pressing issues.
But out of these problems, the most worrying situation is the poor road network in the region, even though attempts have been made to improve the situation.
This reporter has had the opportunity to criss-cross the region and can say that the road network situation in the Western Region, particularly in the rural areas, is not the best.
The irony of the situation is that most contractors who are awarded road contracts in the region abandon them after inspecting the roads, while others start and abandon them midway, while others do shoddy work on them.
It is said that the region’s difficult terrain as well as rainfall pattern are contributory factors to this problem.
Therefore, it has been suggested that a special package or preferential treatment should be given to road construction in the Western Region to attract road contractors to the region, otherwise the region would continue to suffer as far as road construction is concerned.
The Western Region has a total feeder road network of approximately 5,500 kilometres, out of which 3,149 kilometres are engineered, with 861.6 kilometres partially engineered and 1,458.1 kilometres un-engineered.
In 2007, 38.27 per cent of the region’s roads was described as good, and this improved to 39.49 per cent in 2008.
The percentage of a fair road network in 2007 was 14.89 per cent and was increased to 22.21 per cent in 2008, while the poor road network in 2007 was 46.82 per cent which was reduced to 38.39 per cent in 2008.
This year, routine maintenance will be done on 1,756 kilometres of road, while there will be spot improvement on 51.21 kilometres.
A total of 24.50 kilometres of roads in the region will be rehabilitated this year, while 37.70 kilometres will be re-surfaced and 16 bridges constructed.
There are also plans to rehabilitate some of the cocoa roads in the region this year.
In all, a total of 260.6 kilometres of the cocoa roads have been planned for surfacing.
In November last year, a total of 430.2 kilometres were awarded for reshaping at a total cost of GH¢ 848,451.62.
On the state of the highways in the region, some major road projects are ongoing, which include the reconstruction of the 56-kilometre Sefwi Bekwai-Ashiem-Asankrangwa Road.
The road being constructed by Messrs Midwest Contract Works, involves a contract sum of GH¢ 45.3 million and is 30 per cent complete.
The road will have double seal bituminous surface, while major bridges and pipe culverts would be constructed to improve safety; that is expected to be completed next year.
The 53-kilometre Asankrangwa-Enchi road is also being reconstructed at an initial cost of GH¢ 24 million and it is expected that the cost would rise to GH¢ 72 million as a result of variations.
It will also have a double seal bituminous surface, while major bridges, box culverts and pipe culverts will be constructed with dangerous and sharp curves being eliminated by massive cut and fill.
About 35 per cent of the work on the road has been completed and the whole project is expected to be completed between 2011 and 2012.
There are other major road rehabilitation projects slated for next year, which include the reconstruction of the 95-kilometre Tarkwa-Bogoso-Ayamfuri Road.
Tenders for the road project were expected to be opened between November and December this year, and estimated to cost GH¢ 76 million.
The road is to have asphalt, while narrow and weak bridges will be reconstructed.
The accident spot at “Cobbold Hill” will be greatly improved, while all major intersections will be redesigned to promote safety.
The project is expected to commence between March and April 2010 and completed between March and April 2013.
It is expected that after the reconstruction of the roads, transportation of goods and services between the northern zone and the south would be greatly facilitated, while immeasurable socio-economic benefits would be derived.
The reconstruction of the 110-kilometre Agona Junction-Elubo Road is another major project that needs attention in the region.
The project which is expected to begin in June, next year and completed in June 2012, is to be funded with a loan facility from the World Bank.
In respect of the District Capital Roads Improvement Project, a total of 40 kilometres of roads are being executed in the Western Region at the cost of GHҐ 991,722.00, while approval has already been given for the surfacing of the Sefwi Wiawso and Asankrangwa town roads.
Addressing the Western Regional House of Chiefs recently, the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, solicited the cooperation of the chiefs in solving the problems of the region to ensure the rapid development of the region.
He cited the chieftaincy disputes, land litigation, illegal mining, poor road network and the unprecedented sale of lands as some of the problems.
Mr Aidoo explained that the Western Regional Coordinating Council was to facilitate the overall development of the region by effectively coordinating, monitoring and evaluating the activities of the ministries, departments, agencies as well as the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and non-governmental organisations in order to improve the quality of life of the people.
As such, he said, the council had some administrative and development planning functions to perform.
“With this important and challenging role that the Regional Coordinating Council has to play in the development of the region, it goes without saying that it can only do that in collaboration with other stakeholders and the regional house of chiefs is one of such important collaborators”, he emphasised.
Therefore, the expectation is that the chiefs would collaborate effectively with the Regional Coordinating Council to solve the numerous problems, as a prerequisite for a meaningful rapid socio-economic as well as road infrastructure development of the Western Region.
People in the region deserve a better road network to commensurate their contribution to the national kitty.
SCHOOL FOR MENTALLY-HANDICAPPED APPEALS FOR SUPPORT (PAGE 29, DEC 8)
THE acting Headmistress of the Twin City Special School for the Mentally Handicapped, Madam Beatrice Mayne, has appealed to banks, organisations and individuals to assist the school to construct a kitchen and a laundry towards its smooth running.
She explained that the absence of these two facilities was affecting the effective running of the school.
The school has been relocated to its new site at Essipong from its old place which was located on a hill at Ekuase, near Sekondi an earthquake prone area.
Madam Mayne made the appeal when the Ahantaman Rural Bank Limited made a donation to the school.
The bank had earlier made a similar donation of GH¢ 1,400.00 to the Sekondi School for the Deaf.
The items included confectioneries, gari, bags of sugar, oranges, pineapples, tins of fish, boxes of key soap, loaves of bread, sachet drinking water, bags of rice, toilet rolls, bags of rice, gallons of cooking oil and bunches of banana.
The acting headmistress advised parents to send their children who are mentally challenged to the school for their orderly development and not to hide them in their rooms.
She also urged the public not to shy away from such children since it did not augur well for their development.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ahantaman Rural Bank, Mr Joshua Ackah, said management and staff of the bank were concerned about the welfare and education of the children in the two special schools in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis.
He added that the donations, which formed part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the founding of the bank was to express their concern to the children.
Mr Ackah said the bank had a social responsibility to all the communities and educational institutions in its catchment areas.
The board chairman said the bank would pay regular visits to the schools to know their problems and assist in their solution.
She explained that the absence of these two facilities was affecting the effective running of the school.
The school has been relocated to its new site at Essipong from its old place which was located on a hill at Ekuase, near Sekondi an earthquake prone area.
Madam Mayne made the appeal when the Ahantaman Rural Bank Limited made a donation to the school.
The bank had earlier made a similar donation of GH¢ 1,400.00 to the Sekondi School for the Deaf.
The items included confectioneries, gari, bags of sugar, oranges, pineapples, tins of fish, boxes of key soap, loaves of bread, sachet drinking water, bags of rice, toilet rolls, bags of rice, gallons of cooking oil and bunches of banana.
The acting headmistress advised parents to send their children who are mentally challenged to the school for their orderly development and not to hide them in their rooms.
She also urged the public not to shy away from such children since it did not augur well for their development.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ahantaman Rural Bank, Mr Joshua Ackah, said management and staff of the bank were concerned about the welfare and education of the children in the two special schools in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis.
He added that the donations, which formed part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the founding of the bank was to express their concern to the children.
Mr Ackah said the bank had a social responsibility to all the communities and educational institutions in its catchment areas.
The board chairman said the bank would pay regular visits to the schools to know their problems and assist in their solution.
MANAGING THE ENVIRONMENT...Sekondi/Takoradi metro take up the challenge (PAGE 29, DEC 8)
ENVIRONMENTAL health and management has been the bane of some metrpolitan assemblies.
Just like Accra, Kumasi and Tamale, the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolitan assembly also faces the problem of solid and liquid waste disposal and management.
Though the magnitude of the problem in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis may not be the same as that of Accra and Kumasi, the Environmental Health and Management Department of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has envisaged the influx of people to the metropolis as a result of the oil find, with its corresponding increase in public health nuisance.
As a result, the department is beefing up staff strength, ensuring the revision of bye-laws and the intensification of education on the airwaves.
The inability of the STMA to complete its landfill site at Osofokrom is also not helping effective waste disposal and management in the metropolis.
The assembly continues to discharge liquid waste into the sea at Enyiresia, near Sekondi, while solid waste in communal containers sometimes remain at their locations for days before collection, with drainage systems choked with all kinds of materials.
Also, solid waste from households is deposited on the roadside for more than a week before it is collected by private waste management contractors who have been hired to do so by the assembly.
It is against this backdrop that a two-day professional development workshop on sanitation reporting was organised for journalists in the metropolis to appreciate the enormity of environmental/sanitation issues and their effects on the people in the metropolis.
Speaking at the workshop, the Environmental Health Officer of the STMA, Mr Ahmed Sulley, explained that people lived in an environment and depended on the environment for their survival.
He said if those factors were in their natural state and not disturbed, they would pose no danger to people’s health.
According to Mr Sulley, in order to attain good health and have long span of useful life, people must manage the factors which constituted the environment, explaining, “This is known as environmental health.”
The basic requirements for a healthy environment, he said, included a hygienic environment, clean air and adequate and safe food.
He further explained that the surrounding composed of the air we breathed, which was essential for life but could be polluted, as well as the food we ate, which could make us grow but at the same time could be polluted, the water we drank, the soil we grew crops in, the sea and the sand and the rocks.
The environmental health officer described sanitation as a way of life, saying that it was the quality of living that was expressed in a clean home, industry, farm, as well as neighbourhood.
Mr Sulley mentioned some the challenges facing his outfit as the poor attitude of the populace towards sanitation, such as indiscriminate defecation and disposal of refuse.
He also mentioned inadequate staff, enforcement of bye-laws and lack of roadworthy vehicles for the department as challenges confronting it.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), environmental health comprises those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, biological, social and psycho-social factors in the environment (WHO 1993).
It also refers to the theory and practice of assessing, correcting, controlling and preventing those factors which will adversely affect the health of present and future generations.
Just like Accra, Kumasi and Tamale, the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolitan assembly also faces the problem of solid and liquid waste disposal and management.
Though the magnitude of the problem in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis may not be the same as that of Accra and Kumasi, the Environmental Health and Management Department of the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has envisaged the influx of people to the metropolis as a result of the oil find, with its corresponding increase in public health nuisance.
As a result, the department is beefing up staff strength, ensuring the revision of bye-laws and the intensification of education on the airwaves.
The inability of the STMA to complete its landfill site at Osofokrom is also not helping effective waste disposal and management in the metropolis.
The assembly continues to discharge liquid waste into the sea at Enyiresia, near Sekondi, while solid waste in communal containers sometimes remain at their locations for days before collection, with drainage systems choked with all kinds of materials.
Also, solid waste from households is deposited on the roadside for more than a week before it is collected by private waste management contractors who have been hired to do so by the assembly.
It is against this backdrop that a two-day professional development workshop on sanitation reporting was organised for journalists in the metropolis to appreciate the enormity of environmental/sanitation issues and their effects on the people in the metropolis.
Speaking at the workshop, the Environmental Health Officer of the STMA, Mr Ahmed Sulley, explained that people lived in an environment and depended on the environment for their survival.
He said if those factors were in their natural state and not disturbed, they would pose no danger to people’s health.
According to Mr Sulley, in order to attain good health and have long span of useful life, people must manage the factors which constituted the environment, explaining, “This is known as environmental health.”
The basic requirements for a healthy environment, he said, included a hygienic environment, clean air and adequate and safe food.
He further explained that the surrounding composed of the air we breathed, which was essential for life but could be polluted, as well as the food we ate, which could make us grow but at the same time could be polluted, the water we drank, the soil we grew crops in, the sea and the sand and the rocks.
The environmental health officer described sanitation as a way of life, saying that it was the quality of living that was expressed in a clean home, industry, farm, as well as neighbourhood.
Mr Sulley mentioned some the challenges facing his outfit as the poor attitude of the populace towards sanitation, such as indiscriminate defecation and disposal of refuse.
He also mentioned inadequate staff, enforcement of bye-laws and lack of roadworthy vehicles for the department as challenges confronting it.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), environmental health comprises those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, biological, social and psycho-social factors in the environment (WHO 1993).
It also refers to the theory and practice of assessing, correcting, controlling and preventing those factors which will adversely affect the health of present and future generations.
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