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Obuasi gold
mine still viable but needs injection - Asantehene
Kumasi, Jan. 23, Ghanadot/GNA - The Obuasi
mine under Anglo Gold Ashanti is still viable and needs
heavy investment by the management, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II,
Asantehene on Friday noted.
He indicated that the current annual production of about
350,000 ounces of gold was low and this had not reached the
target which management has set itself before the take over.
A statement signed by Mr. G. B. Osei Antwi, Media Relations
Manager at the Manhyia Palace and issued in Kumasi said the
Asantehene made the assertion when Mr John Miler, the
out-going Managing Director for the Obuasi mine and Mr
Christian Rampa Luhembre, Vice-President of West Africa
Division of Anglo Gold, Ashanti, called on him at the
Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Friday to bid him farewell.
The Asantehene stressed that the old system of
rehabilitation of old equipment and machines was far fetched
and did not suit operations at Obuasi mine. According to him
the mine would pick up in the not too distant future when
management of the company re-strategize.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu stressed the need for technology transfer
as well as team work at the work place emphasizing that “the
master-servant relations at the workplace will not help
increase productivity.
“There are many challenges but with management and workers
working together, you can turn the mine around,” he said.
Mr Miller said out of the production target of 390,000.02
ounces of Gold set last year, 357,000.02 was produced and
called for improvement in capacity and upgrading of
equipment to enable the 4,300 workers to meet the target.
Mr Luhembre, who assumed duty as the Vice-President of
Guinea and Mali, introduced Mr Keith Faulkner, the new
Managing Director for the Obuasi mine and Mr Dave Ingle, as
his Deputy to Asantehene.
He told Asantehene that Anglo Gold was moving to a country
structure in the Africa Region in order to deliver on their
strategic objectives pointing out that the first step would
be to split management of Ghana on one hand with Guinea and
Mali on the other.
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