General News of Friday, 10 May 2002

Source: .

Company ordered to stop mining on school's premises.

The Kwaebibirem District Assembly in the Eastern Region has ordered the Ghana Consolidated Diamond Company (GCDC) at Akwatia to stop mining on Akwatia Technical School compound.

The assembly has also ordered the company to reclaim, with immediate effect, the school's lands it had degraded through mining. The order came after a three-hour meeting among the management of the company, some officials of the school and the assembly.

Mr Yaw Boakye Yiadom, District Chief Executive, told the GNA at Kade on Thursday that the Assembly had also requested the company to assist the school to demarcate its land, to have it fenced to ward off illegal diamond miners and improve the school's security.

He said it was also agreed that the 10 bungalows the company built for the school should be returned to the school to help solve the accommodation problem facing it. Mr Edward Oppong, Principal of the school, expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the meeting, saying the decisions would solve many of the school's problems. The GCDC established the school, formerly Akwatia Technical Trade School, to train its workers but the Ghana Education Services later took it over.