Ntotroso (B/A), June 07, GNA - Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, has advised people living in mining communities to settle grievances with mining companies amicably instead of resorting to violence.

He said this on Tuesday following a violent demonstration by the youth of Ntotroso in the Ahafo Project Area of Newmont Gold Ghana Limited against what they alleged was an unfair treatment by the company.

Newmont on Tuesday organised a construction recognition ceremony as part of activities to mark the end of the construction phase of its operations to pave way for outright gold mining. At the ceremony, 178 trainees who had gone through skills training programmes organised and sponsored by the company were presented with Newmont/TICAP and Newmont/City and Guilds certificates. The demonstration by the rampaging youth nearly disrupted the function but for the timely intervention of soldiers and police personnel.

The youth blocked all access routes to the company's project site where the ceremony was to take place and burnt tyres in the middle of the road.

The Chief of the town, Nana Twireku Ampem II, was himself stopped by the youth from attending the function and journalists were held hostage for more than an hour.

Mr Baffour Awuah said the training programme was in consonance with government's commitment to provide the youth with skills. He said Newmont had demonstrated that it was a worthy partner in government's effort to train the youth to help to reduce unemployment and endemic poverty, particularly in the region.

Mr Baffour Awuah expressed the hope that the suspicious wrangling and acrimonies that characterised the project initially would give way to mutual trust, mutual co-existence, confidence and continuous consultation between project owners and the affected communities to resolve naughty points that might arise from time to time.

"We also expect that Newmont will religiously implement its social responsibility programme to continue to justify the social licence it is seeking from the communities to be affected by their operations." He urged the company to scrupulously implement its environmental programme to avoid some of the pitfalls of its predecessors and for the sustainability of its activities in the concessionary area.

Mr Dave Ingle, General Manager of Newmont, said the company met its employment and training commitment during the construction phase and the certificate to the trainees were testament to the levels of skills reached by the trainees.

He said outside the direct operations workforce, the company was looking at the number of other community- related initiatives that would provide job opportunities.

These, Mr Ingle said, include community health programmes involving the construction and up grading of health facilities with Kenyasi being the initial priority, significant agriculture development and a number of new and up-graded road projects.

Mr Bill Zisch, Vice President of Africa and Central Asian operations of the company, said Newmont recognised that its future was dependent on its ability to develop, operate and close mines consistent with its commitment to sustain development, protection of human life, health, environment, and to adding value to the communities in which it operate. "There is no better value than increasing the skill level of people in the local communities and equipping them to take tasks beyond just this project", he said.

Mr J.H Mensah, Member of Parliament for Sunyani- East who presided, expressed government's gratitude to the mining company for its continued healthy collaboration with the government and other stakeholders, including communities it is operating in.