The tension and anxiety brewing at the Ghana Bauxite Company Limited at Awaso in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District in the Western North Region following the decision by the strategic investor to pull out and the thank you tour of former President John Mahama are some of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Tuesday.
The Graphic reports that tension and anxiety is brewing at the Ghana Bauxite Company (GBC) Limited at Awaso in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District in the Western North Region following the decision by the strategic investor to pull out.
The investor, Bosai Minerals Group from China, which has an 80 percent stake in the company, has written to the government about its intention to sell its shares and pack out.
Bosai Minerals Group has decided to exit the country due to the non-renewal of the mining lease of the GBC which expires on January 9, 2022.
The exit of the strategic investor has led to uneasiness and apprehension among the 700 workers of the GBC who are worried about their job security and the future of the only operational bauxite mine in the country.
Many people in Awaso and surrounding communities whose livelihood depends largely on the mine have also expressed worry about the negative impact such a situation would have on them.
Compounding the problem is the fact that the existing site where the company mines bauxite will reach its lifespan in six months’ time, a situation which requires GBC to develop a nearby site, a process that could take up to a year with heavy capital outlay.
While some of the workers are calling on the government to find another strategic investor as soon as possible to develop a new site, others want a process to be activated for them to be paid severance packages when the company goes into the development stage.
The newspaper says that Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, has presented his letters of credence to the Minister for Protocol Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to officially start work as Ghana’s representative to the Kingdom.
During his interactions with the Deputy Minister for Protocol Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Khaled bin Faisal Al-Sehli, Alhaji Tijani pledged to work hard to boost the bilateral relations between the two countries.
The Ambassador, who assumed duty last month, has also met with the Dean of Diplomatic Corps to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Dean of African Group of Ambassadors.
As part of his duty tour to Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Tijani also met other interest groups including the business community, the Saudi Fund for Development and the Minister in charge of African Affairs to sell the business opportunities in the country.
He said the country had a conducive climate for business coupled with a stable democratic system and legal system to protect one’s investment.
The Graphic also reports that former President John Dramani Mahama arrived in the Upper East Region on Monday to begin a day’s ‘Thank You Tour’ of the region.
The former President is expected to interact with party members, religious leaders, traditional authorities and a cross section of the public.
A statement signed by the Upper East Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Donatus Akamugri, and issued to the media in Bolgatanga observed that his tour will begin today with a media engagement on Ghana Broadcasting Corporation’s URA Radio in Bolgatanga.
According to the statement, Mr Mahama is expected to meet a number of groups within the party at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Bolgatanga.
The groups are all current and former regional executives of the NDC, Upper East Regional Parliamentary Caucus, 10 current constituency executives from each of the 15 constituencies in the region and all Regional Campaign Team members for the 2020 general election.
Other groups he will be interacting with included former government appointees, former 2020 parliamentary aspirants, regional leadership of cadres, Regional Council of Elders of the party and regional communication team members.
Mr Mahama is also expected to meet patrons of the Tertiary Educational Institutions Network (TEIN) of the party.
The Times says that Fixing the Country Movement, a new pressure group, says it is going to embark on a nationwide campaign across the 16 regions to propagate the good works of Akufo-Addo’s administration.
The move, according to the group, followed the demonstration by the #FixTheCountry Campaigners, calling on government to address the many socio-economic challenges facing the country.
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Convener of the Movement, Mr Ernest Owusu Bempah described the first term of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo “as one with a resounding success.”
“The movement is very much aware of the considerable gains that the country has chalked under the exemplary leadership of President Akufo-Addo. This attest to the fact that the country is being fixed,” he stated.
He explained that, under the Akufo-Addo led-administration, the economy which hitherto had high inflation, high budget deficit, depreciating cedi and depleting gross international reserves had been totally turned around for the better.
“The microeconomic indices attest to this feat with several indicators showing fantastic results never achieved in Ghana’s history,” he stated.
Touting the achievements of the Akufo-Addo government, Mr Bempah said Nana Akufo-Addo’s resilience in fixing the country had led to the introduction of Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
He said President Akufo-Addo’s government was the only government since independence that had been able to champion youth-driven policies and programmes in the areas of empowerment, employment, mentorship, training and development.
GIK/APA