AngloGold Ashanti exposes workers to unnecessary risk

Obuasi, July 28 GNA - Pleads for the Management of AngloGold Ashanti to relocate its workers at the AngloGold Ashanti Security Barracks at Wawase, in Obuasi have fallen on deaf ears and thus exposing them to danger as loaded articulated trucks that are not able to climb a nearby hill often run back causing accidents. On Tuesday an articulated truck loaded with 643 bags of flour from Takoradi to Niger could have fallen on at least 10 apartments housing more than 30 people at the barracks.

However, the truck with registration number AS 9166 P got chucked after hitting part of the walls of an apartment in which one Corporal Charles Buabeng, his wife and four children were sleeping. The fallen wall damaged the personal effects of the family. The driver of the truck, William Agyin told the GNA that his truck failed to climb the hill at the Eaton Turner Shaft (ETS) area and started to reverse causing the accident. He explained that while climbing the hill with the second gear, a taxicab overtook him and stopped just in front for a passenger to alight, which momentarily caused the speed of his truck to reduce.

Neighbours of Mr Buabeng told the GNA that he had taken two of his family members, who had some bruises, to the hospital. They complained that of late articulated trucks had been failing to climb the hill thereby putting their lives in danger but efforts to get them removed from that part of the barracks had fallen on deaf ears. "Even today, if not because of God, this articulated truck would have killed us," they said.

Meanwhile, the Leadership of the Obuasi branch of the Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU), who were at the scene of the accident, has called on the Management to relocate those in SB 9 to SB 18 apartments of the barracks to avoid imminent danger to lives and property. Efforts by the GNA to get the reaction of Mr Y. B Amponsah, the General Manager, (Human Resources) of the Company, failed because he was said to be out of town.