Former workers of AngloGold Ashanti (Obuasi Mine) are demanding from government, the immediate release of a Heritage Fund that dates back to 1897 as their benefits, following the collapse of the company in 2014.
They say the Heritage Fund was instituted to benefit the workforce of the company who would still be in the employ of the company at the time when it ceases mining operations in Obuasi.
A petition addressed to the Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu sighted by MyNewsGh.com reads in part that, “after the company’s operation were closed in 2014, we the workers started the process of claiming our benefits under the said fund and it got to a point when we had information that the fund been given to government by the company for onward payment to the beneficiaries”.
Following a fruitless meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House on June 26, 2018, the former AngloGold Ashanti workers, who put their number around 6500 say, “we are ready to do what it takes for the whole world to hear about our issue and the fact that the government, specifically the President, has refused to do what is required for the money to be paid to us”.
“Honorable, we know that if the workers undertake what they have decided to do, it will not do any good to the image of your government; it will rather give your political opponents the ammunitions they can use against your government in the impending campaign era and we as leaders of the workers do not want that to happen”, the petitioners added.
The five petitioners, Peter Segbenu, George Ofori, John Ankobia, Stephen Frimpong and Asare Bediako state that, “we have done a number of follow-ups and our information is that, all the necessary processes have been undertaken towards the release of the funds to the beneficiaries but it is only left with the President to give the greenlight for the said money to be paid to us; regrettably however, the President has still not done what is required for the release of the money to us”.
They say the delay in the release of the Heritage Fund has brought unbearable hardships on them, resulting in even the deaths of some of the beneficiaries, while many others are also presently suffering from serious ailments “as a result of the various substances they were exposed to in their work with the company”.
The petition was also copied to the National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Ashanti Regional Minister, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, the Members of Parliament for the Obuasi East and West Constituencies and others.
They say the Heritage Fund was instituted to benefit the workforce of the company who would still be in the employ of the company at the time when it ceases mining operations in Obuasi.
A petition addressed to the Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu sighted by MyNewsGh.com reads in part that, “after the company’s operation were closed in 2014, we the workers started the process of claiming our benefits under the said fund and it got to a point when we had information that the fund been given to government by the company for onward payment to the beneficiaries”.
Following a fruitless meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House on June 26, 2018, the former AngloGold Ashanti workers, who put their number around 6500 say, “we are ready to do what it takes for the whole world to hear about our issue and the fact that the government, specifically the President, has refused to do what is required for the money to be paid to us”.
“Honorable, we know that if the workers undertake what they have decided to do, it will not do any good to the image of your government; it will rather give your political opponents the ammunitions they can use against your government in the impending campaign era and we as leaders of the workers do not want that to happen”, the petitioners added.
The five petitioners, Peter Segbenu, George Ofori, John Ankobia, Stephen Frimpong and Asare Bediako state that, “we have done a number of follow-ups and our information is that, all the necessary processes have been undertaken towards the release of the funds to the beneficiaries but it is only left with the President to give the greenlight for the said money to be paid to us; regrettably however, the President has still not done what is required for the release of the money to us”.
They say the delay in the release of the Heritage Fund has brought unbearable hardships on them, resulting in even the deaths of some of the beneficiaries, while many others are also presently suffering from serious ailments “as a result of the various substances they were exposed to in their work with the company”.
The petition was also copied to the National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Ashanti Regional Minister, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, the Members of Parliament for the Obuasi East and West Constituencies and others.