A known mining establishment, Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited operating in the Talensi District of the Upper East Upper Region has successfully commissioned its Biung and Accra New Site resettlement projects. Apexnewsgh.com report
The move is part of its process to resettle mining-affected people at Biung and Accra New Site area.
According to Mr. Luis Santana, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited, the Biung, and Accra New Site resettlement project was planned to improve housing infrastructure without necessarily changing the way of life and social interaction of the project-affected victims.
He said: “In a more cost-effective way of providing urban-type services such as reticulated electric power, improved water supply and sanitation, improved community access roads and social services including schools, healthcare facilities, church among other for 61 families at Biung and 56 families at Accra New Site all located within the Namdini Mining Area”.
Mr. Santana said, in acknowledgment of the potential social and environmental impacts associated with a such development project, Cardinal Mining Limited introduced the concept of sustainability to mitigate the impact of involuntary resettlement by putting in place livelihood restoration and vulnerable assistance programmes, which are aimed at economic empowerment and social enhancement of the project affected people.
According to the CEO, all households at Biung and Accra New Site are beneficiaries of the livelihood restoration programme and have also been provided with agricultural extension services, tractor services to plough their farmlands, farm inputs including maize, millet, beans, and groundnut seeds, farming tools such as cutlasses, hoes, wellington boots, spraying machines, pesticides, and fertilizers.
He revealed, that the company has engaged the services of a local NGO, Widows and Orphan Movement (WOM) to implement a vulnerable assistance programme to support vulnerable households during the transitional period of the resettlement to cushion them against shocks and hardship and to attain self-sufficiency.
According to Mr. Santana, the vulnerable assistance programme is providing various assistance packages such as healthcare services, food rations, and micro-enterprise development among others.
He believes the objectives of the programme will be realized when all stakeholders, project beneficiaries, and implementers effectively and efficiently play their parts.
Meanwhile, he acknowledged that the collaboration between Cardinal Namdini, the District Assembly, Tongraan, Chief and the people of Biung and Accra New Site is making the project a success.
“The ongoing partnership between Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited and its local stakeholders has also culminated in construction in construction of a 25km public road from Balungu to the mine at a cost of U$7 Million. Which when completed, will improve communication between nearby communities and serve as mine access road”. He explained
He said the completion of the resettlement project pave way for the construction of the Namdini Gold project, with an estimated gold production of over 1 million oz au during the first 3 years of operation and an average of 278k oz au during its year’s mine life”. He revealed
He is of the view that the government’s plan to promote the social-economic development of the northern part of Ghana is highly aligned with Shandong Gold’s strategic goal.
Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited will uphold the principles of regulatory compliance, transparency, and world-class standard, and will be a responsible developer of the Namdini Gold Project.
Mr. Santana however expressed his personal appreciation and thanks to the Honorable Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Deputy Minister of Mines, CEO and Staff of Minerals Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, Tongraan and the Talensi Traditional Council, Talensi District Assembly, The Chief and the people of Biung and all the Local Contractors and workers that with their hard work and dedication helped to make the resettlement project a success.
Baare Chief, Naab Nyaakora Mantii who spoke on behalf of the paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Area, Tongraan Kugbilsong Nanlebegtang advised Cardinal Namdini, the CEO and subordinate not to neglect their social responsibilities.
“We all know as part of your work, you have to, in terms of development, employment and other support the community or the traditional area at large. We plead with you to make sure we get what is due to us. Make sure you live peacefully and cooperate with one another. Take good care of these nice-looking buildings we are seeing, make sure you are able to coexist with our partners and do not confront them in terms of problems. Whatever problem you have there are lay down procedure”. He advised
However, expressing his excitement Sector Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor said his excitement was as a result of the potential jobs the Namdini Mining operation is going to create for the people of the Upper East Region, it impacts on the social-economic development of the area and the country at large.
“I was happy to learn that even before the first gold they poured Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited had already factored local content in its employment policy including senior management like the Company Secretary and the head of legal who are from this very region Upper East”.
“This is indeed a sign that the operation of the mine will bring many more jobs to the people of this region and Talensi in particular”.
“The conventional that gold was only found in the southern part of our country no longer holds. Today, active mining operations are ongoing in almost every part of the country including northern Ghana. Before any mining operation commences the law of our country particularly the Minerals and Mining Acts 206 Act 703 and the Mineral and Mining Compensation resettlement Regulation 2012 enjoined mining companies to resettle persons who will be affected by Mining operations and the Minister is empowered to ensure that the resettlement is done on a suitable manner, paying particular attention to the wellbeing of the people.
“Having realized that the operation of Cardinal Namdini will affect people Biung and Accra New Site, it was incumbent on us to work with the company to ensure that all affected families are relocated. Together with the Minerals Commission and Company, we have worked tirelessly to reach this important milestone where these Biung and Accra New Site Communities have been constructed to resettle inhabitants of the community and to ensure the highest standard of health and safety for mine and host Communities”.
“These were constructed in accordance with the resettlement action plan approved by the District Land use and Special Planning Authority and the Mineral Commission and confirm international finance co-operation performance standard on social and environmental sustainability”.
The sector said, having gone through these processes, he has no doubt that integrity and fitness for purpose of this community.
“I am told for instance, that the facilities include concrete residential buildings featured with kitchen and washrooms, a health-care facility, two schools with accommodations for teachers, three places of washing, electricity to residential and all public building as well as street lightening, potable water, and gravel road connecting the buildings”.
“I want to the company Cardinal Namdini for sticking to the resettlement plan and providing improved infrastructure in these Communities. Indeed, the government did not expect anything less”.
However, Sector Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor added his voice by appealing to beneficiaries of the resettlement project to handle it with care for their own and family good.
“Let me plea with all beneficiaries of these new communities to take very good care of the facilities to maintain and manage them responsibly so that your children and grandchildren will benefit from them.
He commended the chiefs and people of Talensi Traditional council for their cooperation so far.
“I am hopeful that you will continue to keep a good and cordial relationship with the company throughout their operations and I must add that building a cordial relationship with the host communities required a credible participatory process to establish the requisite boundaries and framework within the confined of the prevailing law under the supervision of the regulatory agencies such as the Mineral Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency”. He said
However, Chiefs and people of Biung and Accra New Site were all excited the commissioning event.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen/ Biung-Accra New Site/ Ghana
