The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said his government is taking steps to implement programmes and policies that will ensure Ghana’s bauxite resources are used judiciously.
Dr Bawumia was speaking at a durbar of chiefs and people of Nyinahim in the Atwima-Mponua District of the Ashanti region and assured the people, the government’s decision to mine bauxite is right.
He reassuringly told the people, “Ghana has something that the rest of the world wants. We have bauxite which is not being mined. The rest of the world needs bauxite in a lot of industries, including steel.”
Going on, he said, “From bauxite, we get alumina then to aluminium which is used to manufacture many things, such as car parts, airplane parts, medical equipment, many high technology components and for construction. ”
Making reference to the deal signed with China under the ‘Sinohydro Master Project Support Agreement’, the vice president said the government has made sure to promote a “bauxite for infrastructure deal.”
He declared, “Our challenge is to make sure that this exchange is fair to us, that we agree on the quality of the roads, hospitals and schools to be built and that we negotiate with our best. ”
He attested to the success of Ghana in gold mining and said the country had learned lessons and believes bauxite mining will be different.
The vice president was in the region to cut the sod for the start of work on the 69.51 kilometres road within Nyinahin and Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western Region, under the Sinohydro projects.
Nhyinahin town roads, Kwanfifini-Aprenimade feeder road, Mpasatia-Abompey feeder road and Kessekrom-Adiembra feeder road are all roads included in the project package.
The project is being administered in two phases under the Ministry of Roads and Highways with technical support from the Department of Feeder Roads.
Ghana’s agreement with the Sinohydro Company of the People’s Republic of China would have the Sinohydro Company construct and upgrade roads and interchanges across the country to help boost socio-economic activities.
Dr Bawumia is hopefull the project will not only boost bauxite production but also the lives of the people as a whole.
