The Nadowli/Kaleo and Wa East in Upper West districts of the Upper West Region have thrown their weight and support to welcome the multi-million dollar mining company in Africa and Ghana; Engineers and planners are now the new owners of Azumah resources concession, it has now marked a new dawn of opportunities and job creation within the Upper West Region especially in the and communities where mining operations are taking place as new development has come to the door steps of the people.

The development initiatives associated with the project by Engineers and Planners Mining Company is quite enormous and promising.

Since the discovery of a large deposit of gold many years ago in the two districts where poverty is believed to be endemic due to numerous factors including , lack of irrigation facilities , non-existence of industries given as part of the reasons for youth unemployment and the spread of poverty

This is due to unreliable job opportunities and in the past people from these areas had to travel to the southern half of the country to work in different fields, most especially the mining sector, particularly in Obuasi and its environs, to secure their livelihood and through that they have gained experience in mining sector.

Over the years the chiefs and people in the various traditional areas within the region continued to call on governments to prioritize gold prospects in the Upper West Region in order to benefit the people and therefore urged government to dermarcate area for small scale mining.

Through these numerous appeals the government has listened to their appeal by allocating two concessions in the Wa East district in in order to reduce unemployment and to boost the local economy there.
And this has also afforded the opportunity for large scale mining and company Azumah resources, a mining company to advantage of the situation by adequately preparinng to commence full scale operations within their concession.

It is therefore not surprising that after a long standoff between some communities and Azumah resources which kept promising the people of their readiness to start operation for the past twenty years prospecting it has now materialized.

Undoubtedly, Engineers and PPlanners, a mining Company is an indigenous company in Ghana with vast knowledge and expertise in the mining sector with state of the art mining equipment with a track record in exploration and refinery, particularly in hard rock mining.

Many advocates, including yours truly received this news with immense hope and aspirations for the mining sector in the Upper West Region for the people of the region have over the years been fighting for the mining sector to enable them get decent employment opportunities.

Although Engineers and Planners are preparing seriously planning to begin operations, the people of the region are full of optimism that decent direct and indirect jobs will be created and to get the people fixed with employment opportunities.

Additionally, the chorus by numerous voices that special to appeal to the managers of black
Volta Gold Project to prioritize the local people in the recruitment process; especially local the communities where they work as that will bring about integration with the company for development.

it’s important to note that Black Volta Gold Project is not for the Nadowli/Kaleo and Wa East people alone, the demand for groceries and decent accommodation and general merchant will increase, security service pressure will be tested since people from all walks of life as well as transport service activities and the hospitality industry must embrace this new era of economic opportunities for the region as a whole.

Continuous monitoring will be done especially on the developments of sustainable mining sector of the region in order to create good livelihoods for people of the region and to ensure that there is that provision to be made by Engineers and Planner especially on the company’s cooperate social responsibility to the two districts and beyond.

End

By: Tina Musah Adams/ Journalist – Radio Mak