CIDA honours Dr Toni Aubynn

The Civilian Institute of Democratic Administration (CIDA), Ghana has conferred on Dr Toni Aubynn, the CEO of the Minerals Commission, the Award of Professional Fellow at a ceremony in Accra.

Dr Toni Aubynn was among nineteen other Ghanaian personalities, who in recognition of their immense contribution to the development of the society, the Governing Council of The Civilian Institute of Democratic Administration (CIDA), conferred on them the Award of Professional Fellow (FCIDA) with the right to use the designatory letters- FCIDA after their names.

Speaking at the investiture ceremony, Dr Charles Marcus, the Director General of CIDA, said Dr Aubynn’s has used his influence to initiate and support a number of beneficial projects in the Tarkwa and Damang communities.

He said Dr Toni Aubynn led the development and implementation of Gold Fields Ghana’s flagship community development programme, Sustainable Economic Empowerment and Development (SSED), which has had tremendous benefit to the surrounding communities of Gold Fields operations.

Dr Marcus said Dr Aubynn also established and chaired the Gold Fields Ghana’s Scholarship Scheme, which has supported over 1000 brilliant but needy students of the catchment area of the company’s operations to pursue education at secondary and tertiary levels in Ghana.

He said Dr Aubynn’s proposal for special support for the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), culminated in the provision of support for the University’s V-SAT Project, construction of a Geo-Tech laboratory and an annual contribution of a Hundred Thousand Dollars for five years to the University.

“At the national level, Dr Aubynn played a leading role in securing an unprecedented US$ 11 million (six-year) sponsorship deal for the country’s senior national team, the Ghana Black Stars, which arguably revived the fortunes of the team, back to its glory days and paved the way for the maiden qualification to the World Cup in 2006” Dr Marcus said.

He said Dr Aubynn has also made immense contribution at the international level notably his involvement in number of mining related initiatives that have sought to improve the understanding of relationship between mining and communities, and also sought improvements in the Artisanal Small Scale Mining sub-sector.

“These initiatives have seen Dr Toni Aubynn serve as chair of International Council of Minerals and Metals’ (ICMM), Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Working Group, Chair of the Association of Commodities Group (ACG) and a long-time member of Strategic Management Advisory Group of the World Bank and DFID sponsored community and Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ACSM)”, Dr Marcus told the gathering.