Awareness creation efforts is vital in disbursing funds to communities - Prof Kuma

Professor Jerry Kuma, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), has called on the Local Management Committee (LMC) to consider the use of awareness creation efforts when taking decisions on the disbursement of funds.

He said qualitative human resources through education and youth orientation is vital for nation building.

Prof Kuma said this when the first batch of the LMC was inaugurated at UMaT in Tarkwa.

He said education emancipates and empowers communities to achieve economic and social freedom and it inculcates in them the spirit of oneness and sense of allegiance.

The Vice Chancellor said in Ghana, community development was often regarded by local communities as the most important part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the extent that it is often perceived to be a statutory responsibility of the mining companies.

He said communities in mining areas sometimes make unachievable demands towards the development of their communities.

"The inability of the mining companies to meet all the demands often leads to strained relationship between the mining companies and their host communities with associate adverse effects on the mining operations", he said.

Prof Kuma said the establishment of the LMC would help the Mineral Development Fund to perform its functions, by facilitating the socio-economic development of the mining communities to avoid disturbing the cordial relationship that exists between the mining communities and companies.

He assured the seven-member committee that UMaT was ready to offer any support to the various LMCs with their expertise.