A group calling itself the Coalition of Concerned Youth of Sefwi Land, has served a notice to the KINROSS Chirano Gold Mines Gh. Ltd to immediately split its Community Relations Department from the Human Resources Office while giving opportunities to natives of their land to head those positions.

This, according to a document made available to GhanaWeb by the group, is necessary because natives of the land who will man those positions will do so with the understanding of the sanctity and respect of their culture, allowing them to properly communicate to the indigenes.

“We demand with immediate effect the split of the Community Relations Department from the Human Resource office, both manned and headed by a Sefwi to properly communicate, propel and respect the culture and way of life of the indigenes,” the petition said.

The Coalition said that this petition is in response to what they describe as unfair treatment that the management of the KINROSS Chirano Mines Gh. Ltd has meted out to them, breaking the confidence they had in them when they first approached the area that they were going to work in a way that would enhance the economy of the area.

“Your coming to exploit our mineral reserves in commercial quantities was met with great news considering the impact stakeholders though would have on our local economies. However, same cannot be said in relation to economic transformation and social development of our communities and the nemesis of mining has rather reared its ugly head than the supposed blessings on our local economies,” they stated.

They explained that from the activities of mining by the company, they had lost everything that was once theirs to mining but refuse to sit and allow the destruction to fester.

“Our natives have lost everything to mining and cannot sit aloof for us to be dominated and over exploited economically for your personal gains to the detriment of our well-beings,” it said.

The 5-page petition was copied to, among others, the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, and Member of Parliament for Sefwi Wiawso constituency, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie; the MP for Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai, Alfred Obeng Boateng; and the Paramount Chief of the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Area, Katakyie Kwasi Bumangama II.

The group also stated how worrying a fact it is that opportunities to apply for the positions it is asking the company to leave to its indigenes are never made public, with the company only always hand-picking people from within the company.

The group also bemoaned the unfair distribution of opportunities for jobs for non-indigenes over those that go to locals from the area, calling for a better distribution to be done for them.

“Ethically, after sacrificing our lands which could have otherwise been useful in other enterprises for mining, one may expect employment of the local indigenes to fully participate in the core mining activities to earn a living and secure a better future for the inhabitants. To our utter dismay, our local people are denied job offers in the core mining though they possess the needed skills as others that are offered the same opportunity,” the statement said.

Read the full statement below: