AngloGold Ashanti (Iduapriem) Limited (AAIL) has initiated a process to reconstitute its Community Liaison Group (CLG) with the view to broadening its mandate to serve as an umbrella body to which all other committees in the host communities would report.
Previously, the CLG met once every quarter and provided a forum for the Mine to disclose findings of its Environmental Monitoring Report and for members to share experiences and discuss issues which affect several or all host communities.
Speaking at a stakeholder consultative meeting on the CLG reconstitution, Senior Manager-Sustainability for Iduapriem Mine, Emmanuel Baidoo indicated that with the formation of a Community Employment Committee and the Mine’s quest to empower host communities to have a sustainable future, it had become necessary for the CLG to be reconstituted to give them a new focus and direction.
“We have inaugurated a 10-member Community Employment Committee to coordinate and ensure fairness and transparency in the community employment process in our host communities,” Mr Baidoo said.
“The CLG will, therefore, handle grievances escalated from the employment committee and all other committees to be formed by the Mine.” Mr Baidoo stressed that the Iduapriem Mine has shown a strong commitment in integrating community development and economic considerations into its core business decision-making to ensure communities and societies in which it operates are better off for AngloGold Ashanti having been there.
He expressed the hope that the work of the CLG would complement efforts of the Mine to sustain the goodwill, support and mutually beneficial relationship with host communities and all stakeholders.
Assemblymember for Teberebie Electoral Area, Hon. Ernest Amoateng said the reconstitution of the CLG would help to deepen the relationship between the mine and the host communities in order to ensure participatory decision making towards development.
He urged all stakeholders to support the Mine in the reconstitution processes to bring about mutually beneficial relationships.
The CLG is expected to draw membership from divisional and host community chiefs, MDAs, regulatory bodies, opinion leaders, NGOs, and representatives of women and youth groups.
