Akyempim youth block road to Golden Star Wassa Mines for lack of employment

Correspondence from Western Region

The youth of Akyempim in the Wassa East District of the Western region blocked the road this morning to prevent staff of Golden Star Wassa Mine from going to work.

Unhappy about transparency in employment in the company, the youth on Monday, Dec 5, 2022, blocked the road leading to the company, burnt tyres, and fell trees to block the road.

According to the youth, they are unhappy about the “unlawful” employment of outside into the company.

Speaking to Ghanaweb in an interview with the Youth Chairman of the committee, Samuel Akomea noted that the company has been employing people “illegally” from elsewhere without the knowledge of the community which is unlawful

He noted that “recently, they have employed some geologists without the community knowing when we have some geologists in the community who need employment”.

“We are not happy the way Golden Star has been treating us. They go outside the community to employ people when we have some of the people they are looking for in the community”, he explained.

He said, “when the company wants to employ, they place the advert internally and post the vacancy in the community a week later, so when community members apply, they do not get, that is why we blocked the road to express our grievances and the unfair treatment the company has been giving us”.

Mr. Akomea stated that the Vice President & Managing Director at Golden Star Resources Ltd Mr. Shadrach Adjetey Sowah upon hearing their demonstration approached them and assured them of a meeting on Wednesday, Dec 7, 2022, to address their issues.

Meanwhile, the road has been cleared for the free flow of traffic.