Akyem Kotoku chief urges Zijin to create lasting jobs, build a hospital and a university

Pinned summary · as of 21:02

Oseadeeyo Dr Frimpong Manso IV, the Akyem Kotoku paramount chief, has pressed Zijin Mining Company to set up arrangements that give people near its mine lasting work, the Graphic Online reported. Zijin, which succeeded Newmont Akyem two years ago, was visiting him and the traditional council at his Oda palace.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Graphic Online reported that Zijin management visited the chief and members of the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Council at his palace in Oda to discuss matters of shared interest.
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  According to Graphic Online, the chief asked Zijin to put in place arrangements that give residents near its operations lasting work, saying such jobs would back the government's drive to cut youth unemployment across the country and locally.
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  Graphic Online said the chief encouraged Zijin to establish a top-quality hospital as well as a university within his traditional area.
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  The chief advised the company, Graphic Online reported, to respect the traditional hierarchy and make sure every community around its operations gets social amenities, and he repeated his call for responsible mining and for mined-out land to be reclaimed for farming and other economic uses.
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  Graphic Online reported that the chief promised the traditional council's full backing for Zijin, asked the company to do the same in return, and thanked it for pledging to help fund the royal palace complex being built at Oda.
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  Derek Boateng, Zijin's Senior Manager for Sustainability and External Relations, said the company would stay in the Birim North District until 2042, according to Graphic Online.
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  Mr Boateng also told Graphic Online that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had approved an expansion of Zijin's output ceiling: 13.5 million tonnes, up from the earlier 8.5 million tonnes.

Why it matters for Ghana

Mining companies shape jobs, land and public services in the districts where they operate, and Zijin's plans for Birim North run for many years if Mr Boateng's timeline holds. Residents of Oda and nearby communities have a stake in whether promised jobs, amenities and land reclamation materialise. The chief's demands show what the traditional authority expects in return for its support.