Friday, 11th February, 2022

DAILY ANALYST
Friday, 11th February, 2022 Page 7
The National Council
of Zongo Chiefs has
commended the Chief
Executive Officer of the
Zongo Development
Fund (ZoDF), Obrempong Dr.
Arafat Sulemana Abdulai, for
spearheading development
projects in Zongo communities in
the country.
The Council noted that
It also lauded Vice President
Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia
for his continuous support
to Zongo communities, and
conveyed “appreciation and
recognition” of the valiant
performance of Obrempong
Dr. Abdulai as Chief Executive
Officer.
The eminent Chiefs made
this declaration through their
National Public Relations Officer,
Alhaji Imoru Baba Issah, at a
meeting with the Chief Executive
and management of ZoDF, at the
ZoDF secretariat in Accra last
Wednesday.
Speaking on behalf of the
venerable chiefs representing
various ethnic groups in
Zongo Communities, Alhaji
Stay off Community Mining Scheme
- Lands Minister warns foreigners
Samuel A. Jinapor, the
Minister for Lands and
Natural Resources has
cautioned communities
benefiting from the
Community Mining Scheme
(CMS) not to engage the services
of foreigners in their activities.
The Minister emphasised
that the CMS is the preserve of
Ghanaians and that any attempt
by foreigners to infiltrate the
sector will not be tolerated.
He vowed to revoke the
license of any firm found to
engage foreigners at its site.
The Minister further
explained that government holds
the position that Ghanaians
must benefit from the country’s
natural resources and the CMS
is the surest way of manifesting
that belief.
“We want natives and the
Elders of Asante Akyem South to
enjoy maximum benefits so I am
pleading with you not to allow
foreign nationals to engage in it.
This should not happen at the
expense of the natives of this
town”, he maintained.
“This Community Mining
Scheme is for the people of
Tokwae and Asante Akyem South.
Foreigners are not allowed to
participate in it. If one foreigner
is found working in this mining
operation, the mining license
which I have signed as Minister
will be revoked”, he warned.
Hon. Jinapor issued the stern
caution during the launch of
the Tokwae Community Mining
Scheme on Thursday, February
10, 2022.
He disclosed that government
as part of its job creation strategy
is seeking to establish at least 50
CMS in 2022.
He stated that the new
module will replace the
archaic and more harmful
galamsey practices and also
empower mining communities
since his assumption of office,
Obrempong Dr. Abdulai has
worked tirelessly in ensuring
that the impact of the projects
executed by ZoDF were felt in
“every corner of Ghana."
The Council therefore
expressed gratitude to President
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
for the establishment of the
Zongo Development Fund.
economically.
“So far, we have
commissioned seven
community mining schemes
and this year under the
direction of the President,
we intend to commission 50
Community Mining Schemes.
Agenda 50 Mining Community
Schemes begins with Tokwae”,
he said.
“Community Mining Scheme
which is done responsibly and
has regard for the environment
which employs the teeming
youth of the country is indeed
an alternative to illegal smallscale
mining and that is the
strategy of the Ministry.”
The Member of Parliament
for Asante Akyem South,
Hon. Kwaku Asante Boateng
eulogized the Sector Minister for
showing exemplary leadership
in his role.
He urged the leaders and
residents of the community to
heed to the counsel by Hon. Abu
Jinapor and obey the regulations
governing the CMS.
Hon. Kwaku Asante Boateng
was happy with the scheme
which he reckons will relieve the
constituency of some headache
with respect to unemployment.
Nana Eyim Kum Nipa II,
Omanhene of Gyadam, expressed
gratitude to the government for
the initiative which would offer
job opportunities to the teeming
youth in the area and improve
upon their living standards.
He pledged the support of
the chiefs and other traditional
leaders in promoting safety
and enhancing security in the
operations of the scheme.
The Municipal Chief
Executive of Asante Akyem South,
Alexanda Frimpong commended
the government and the ministry
for completing the processes
which has culminated to the
Launch of the scheme.
He appealed to the Minister
to help deal with illegal smallscale
mining activities in the
area.
Prior to the Launch, the
Minister paid a courtesy call on
the Omanhene of the area, Nana
Eyim Kum Nipa II.
Baba Issah stated that as key
partners in the development
of Zongo communities, the
Council “supports, appreciates
and acknowledges” the historic
transformation of Zongo
communities through the
interventions of the ZoDF.
He said the education of the
youth in Zongo communities, the
enhancement of skills training,
peace building and access to
gainful employment remained
key priorities of Chiefs in Zongo
Communities.
In that connection, the
National Council presented a
proposal for support from the
Fund for the construction of a
senior high school (SHS) and a
nursing training college on land
secured by the Council at Ashifla
in the Greater Accra Region. The
Council presented documents
pertaining to the land and
architectural drawings for the
school and the nursing college to
the CEO.
Alhaji Baba Issah stated
further that the objective of
bringing “Peace, Unity and
Development” by Chiefs cannot
be attained without the support
and collaboration of the Fund.
The CEO of ZoDF thanked
the Council for its pre-eminent
role in Zongo communities
and acknowledged that Chiefs
“form the fulcrum of the Zongo
Development Agenda."
He said it is recognition of the
indispensable role of Chiefs in
Zongo communities that the Act
establishing the Fund enshrined
the representation of Chiefs on
the governing board of the ZoDF.
Teachers accuse ‘wee’ smokers
of setting Ahmadiyya JHS 3
classroom ablaze
The activities of some
‘wee’ smokers around
Ahmadiyya Junior Secondary
School in the
Kintampo municipality
of the Bono East have allegedly
led to the burning of the form
3 classroom.
According to the teachers of
the school, they suspect the wee
smokers who smoke around the
school at night set the school
ablaze on Wednesday, February
9, 2022.
Narrating the ordeal of the
school during the mid-day news
on Accra 100.5 FM on Thursday,
February 10, 2022, a teacher of
the school ruled out any electrical
fault as the cause of the fire.
He said it is the activities of
the said wee smokers that led
to the outbreak of the fire at the
JHS form 3A classroom.
“It beats our imagination as
school managers, how the school
is being treated by the locals in
the Kintampo area.
He assured the Chiefs of
the support, cooperation and
collaboration of the Fund in
key areas such as education,
peace-building, health and skills
training.
Conflict resolution, conflict
management and conflict
prevention are additional areas
of collaboration the Fund would
pursue in collaboration with the
Council, he added.
Obrempong Dr. Abdulai
stated that the Fund was in the
process of commencing the
construction of three model
senior high schools this year
(2022), and indicated that “serious
consideration” would be accorded
the request from the Council. He
commended the Council for the
“laudable initiative."
Obrempong Dr. Abdulai
noted that the development of
Zongo communities demands
the “collective effort” of all
stakeholders. He conveyed the
readiness of the Fund to improve
the capacity of Chiefs, Magajiyas
(women leaders) and youth
leaders in Zongo communities
and to also support programmes
targeted at “bridging the gap”
between Chiefs and the youth in
Zongo communities.
Obrempong Dr. Abdulai
also lauded the Chiefs for the
“swift manner” in which they
acted to restore calm during the
recent disturbances at Nima and
Mamobi.
The National Council of
Zongo Chiefs is the umbrella
organization of Chiefs from
Zongo communities throughout
the 16 regions of Ghana.
Not too long they broke into
the JHS form 2B classroom and
made away with some desktop
computers,” he lamented
He said since the security
man retired, the school had not
seen peace with issues of theft,
classroom toileting among
others.
He explained that school
managers suspect some old students
are part of the problems of
the school in recent times.