Takoradi, July 22, GNA — The District Chief Executive for Sefwi-Wiawso, Mr Stephen Wilks Kofi Mensah has denied the claim that the Chirano Gold Limited is refusing to employ the indigenes of the area.

He said records at the company show that, the company through the active involvement of the three traditional councils in the area had employed 286 people from communities in its operational area, of which the paramount chiefs had acted as the agent for recruitment.

Mr Mensah said this in an interview with the GNA on Friday.

He said the company, which is a subsidiary of Kinross Limited in Canada had undertaken a number of infrastructural developments in its catchment area.

They include the provision of school blocks, toilet facilities, markets, boreholes, incentive packages for teachers in the area as well as establishing a trust fund.

Mr Mensah said the youth of Poboase presented a petition to the Assembly on June 24, alleging that, the mining company had ignored the youth of the area in terms of employment.

Mr Mensah said based upon that he invited the management of the mining company, the three paramount chiefs in the company’s operational area, the District Security Committee and the representatives of the youth to dialogue on the issues for amicable settlement on July 19.

He said the company, which is operating in both Ahwianso-Bibiani-Bekwai and Sefwi-Wiawso Districts had met the two assemblies to propose development options for which the mining company would assist.

Mr Eric Darko, Public Relations Manager of the company, said it had paid adequate compensation to landowners whose lands were acquired for mining and had started constructing a 17-kilometer feeder road in the area to boost its accessibility.

Mr Darko stressed that the Environmental Protection Agency had conducted an environmental assessment and had cleared them of any wrongdoing and therefore pledged the company’s commitment towards the development of the area.