The Mineral Development Fund (MDF) of Ghana has inaugurated eight(8) persons to form the Local Management Committee (LMC) for Asutifi North District for its Mining Community Development Scheme(MCDS).
The members of the LMC include the Paramount Chief of Kenyasi No.1, Nana Osei Kofi Abiri, the Paramount Chief of Kenyasi No.2, Odeneho Dadieko Kwabena Nsiah Ababio, the Paramount Chief of Ntotroso, Barima Twereko Ampem, the Asutifi North District Chief Executive, Mr. Anthony Mensah, Representative of Mineral Commission, Mr. Ernest Okyere, Representative of Newmont GoldCrop Ahafo Mines, Mrs. Charllotte Fafa Tay Senyo, Representative of Women’s Groups in the district, Comfort Adjei Mensah and a Representative of Youth Groups, Mr. Emmanuel Duah.
Addressing the members and others who showed up at the occassion held on last at Kenyasi the capital of the district, Mr. Benjamin Aryee, Advisor to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources who spoke on behalf of the Minister expressed that the President of the Republic expects the fund to be managed effectively to ensure total transformation of mining communities in terms of massive development.
He said the ministry will expect accountability from the commissioned committee through the MDF board and will institute a scheme to award the best local committee and stakeholders in the country that contributes to ensure the vision is achieved so therefore the members of the committee need to work extremely hard.
The Chairman of the committee, Nana Osei Kofi Abiri, on behalf of other committee members pledged that the team will work to create opportunities for the people especially the youth in the district where Newmont Goldcrop operates in order to improve their living conditions. The Chairman who is the Paramount Chief of Kenyasi No.1 added that the committee will work together with all the stakeholders to resolve issues like the growing menace of youth unemployment and galamsey.
Mr. Yaw Okyere, Chief Executive Officer of Newmont Goldcrop Ahafo Mines reiterated the readiness of the company to work collectively with the committee to facilitate development in the district as it has been already doing through the establishment of Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation(NADeF) and other avenues.
A Representative of Centre for Extractives and Development Africa(CEDA), Mr. Emmanuel Kuyele urged and advised the committee to work as a team for the interest of the people and to collaborate with the assembly and NADeF all the time to ensure there is no conflict in projects to be executed.
The Chairperson of Mineral Development Fund (MDF), Esther .H. Edjeani presented a cheque of one million cedis to the committee as a seed money and tasked the committee to use it judiciously and ensure that real dividends are yielded in a long term.
The Mining Community Development Scheme (MCDS) was established in 2016 to facilitate the socioeconomic development of mining communities in the country.