Some residents of Anyinam, a mining community in the Obuasi municipality, are up in arms against AngloGold Ashanti over the mining giants’ decision to put up a modern 24-unit classroom block in the community.
According to the aggrieved residents, who addressed the media in a press conference, AngloGold Ashanti has failed to properly engage the community to get their approval for the appropriate site for the project.
Eric Amaning, a leader of the angry residents, accused the Assembly member for the area, Richard Cudjoe, and some selected people for misleading AGA to site the project at the Anyinam Methodist ‘A’ close to the Kwesi Mensah Shaft without recourse to the views of the community.
Background
AngloGold Ashanti has in its 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan lined up a plethora of educational intervention programmes including building of educational infrastructure in its operational area.
In line with this, the company has decided to demolish both the Anyinam Methodist ‘A’ and ‘B’ schools and put up a magnificent 24-unit classroom block at the site of the Methodist ‘A’ school near the Kwesi Mensah Shaft.
However, some members of the community have expressed their displeasure over the proposed site, citing the small size of land which they say cannot accommodate the 24-unit classroom block as well as football pitch and volley ball court which were available in the Methodist B school which has been earmarked for demolition.
According to Eric Amaning, they cannot fathom why AGA wants to demolish the school which was sitting on a 14-acre land with football pitch and volley ball court to put up a new structure on a 3-acre land.
“The football pitch and volley ball court served the whole Anyinam community. Now you say you want to demolish it and build a 24-unit classroom block at the Methodist A premises which is only 3-acres. Does this mean we can’t have any playing field anymore.”
He said the community is no way opposed to the intention to build a new school but they are surprised how a 3-acre land can accommodate a project as huge as a 24-unit classroom block.
They are of the view that the proposed site is not ready to accommodate the new structure and also opined that the site is closer to the Kwesi Mensah Shaft.
They said the proximity of the school to the shaft may disrupt academic activities due to the excessive noise emanating from it.
They appealed to AGA to abandon any plan of building the school at the Anyinam Methodist A site or ‘Anyinam fie’ and go back to the negotiation table with the residents of the community to ascertain the appropriate area to build the new school.