Small scale mining to be restructured to create jobs - Mahama

Small scale mining activities would be restructured and modified to serve as a decent source of employment for the youth, President John Dramani Mahama has said.

The President said this during a courtesy call on traditional rulers of the Denkyira Traditional Council at Dunkwa-On-Offin in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality as part of his three-day visit to the Central Region.

Mr Mahama said presently there is a bill before Parliament which among others seeks to modify small scale mining laws and reiterated government’s determination to make small scale mining, an alternate employment avenue for the unemployed youth in the country.

The President also said the rehabilitation of roads currently underway in the Dunkwa Township would be asphalted.

Government and the Ghana Cocobod have secured an amount of $ 150,000,000 US dollars for the rehabilitation of the Dunkwa, Kyekyewere, Awisem roads which have been awarded on contract under the cocoa roads rehabilitation programme to speed up progress of work, he said.

President Mahama also informed the chiefs and people that the Obuasi, Dunkwa, Ayanfuri stretch of road linking Diaso have also been awarded on contract to FACOL CONSTRUCTION WORKS.

He appealed to the traditional rulers to exercise restraint as Government was determined to ensure that the projects were completed on schedule.

He also urged the contractor currently working on the Obuasi/Dunkwa stretch to speed up work for the project to be completed on time.

The President also reiterated Government’s support to cocoa farmers with the distribution of 60,000,000 cocoa seedlings to boost the cocoa industry.

He urged the youth who have attained 18 years to take advantage of the limited voter registration exercise to register at their nearest registration centres to exercise their franchise during the November 7 elections.

Nana Adjei Nkyere II, the Adontenhene of Denkyira Traditional Council, thanked the President for redeeming his pledge to the traditional rulers in the area with the presentation of a 33 seater Hyundai bus he promised them about two years ago.

He also commended Government for establishing two CHPS Compound structures with funding from the 10 per cent deduction from each of the government appointees monthly salary.

Nana Nkyere II said currently the beneficiary communities are Kwameprakrom and Gyampo, in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality.

He also thanked the President for constructing three community day Senior High Schools in the following areas - Denkyira Kyekyewere, Diaso and Twifo Hemang.

Nana Nkyere appealed to the Government to rehabilitate the Dunkwa/Kyekyewere/Awisem stretch which was constructed in 1928 to ease their burden when travelling through Twifo-Ayaase – Twifo Praso to Cape Coast.