Abosso Mines is committed to education - GM

Damang (W/R), July 25, GNA - Mr. Charles Taschereau, Acting General Manager of Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GFGL) Abosso Goldfields Limited (AGL), has said the best legacy the company can communities within its operational area is quality education.

He pointed out that resources could be tapped and utilised efficiently for the development of the communities and the country only with a "developed human capital".

Mr. Taschereau inaugurating a 298 million cedis Junior Secondary School (JSS) block built by AGL for the Nana Amoakwa Model School at Damang on Friday, he said the company had spent 2.5 billion cedis on social investment projects in communities within its area of operation this year.

He said the priority of the company's social investment projects was education, adding that, out of a budget of 1.6 billion cedis for 2002/2003, education alone had over 41 percent. For this year, 51 percent of 2.5 billion cedis went to education, he said.

Mr. Taschereau said the company also supplied poles for an electrification project, donated computers and other educational facilities and rehabilitated schools.

He an area that would continue to feature prominently in the company's social investment projects is the alternative livelihood programme.

"We have been able to accomplish this edifice as a result of our collective resolve to live peacefully and use dialogue to resolve our problems," he added.

Mrs. Olivia Opoku Adoma, Western Regional Planning Officer on behalf of the Western Regional Minister told the people to embrace and register for the National Health Insurance Scheme to enable them to have access to quality health care.

She said, "HIV/AIDS is no respecter of anybody" and cautioned the people to practise safer sex adding, "This beautiful edifice will be useless when HIV/AIDS wipe out the nation's manpower resource." Nana Enimil Kuma IV, Chief of Huni-Valley, asked parents to spend on their children's education to produce useful citizens. He expressed his appreciation for the development projects embarked upon by the company.

Mr. Seth Gyima, Headmaster, said the school, which started with 140 pupils in four classes four years ago now had an enrolment of 282 and 171 at the Early Childhood Development Centre Department. He appealed to the Wassa West District Assembly to provide six additional classrooms to meet the growing school population.