AngloGold Ashanti and the security agencies in Obuasi have participated in fun games at the Ofori Stadium in Obuasi. The event which was dubbed “Securing Obuasi Mine through Community Involvement” was aimed at giving the Obuasi community assurance that the security agencies and AGA are one in the fight against illegal mining and illegal practices against the Mine. Prior to the games, the security agencies marched through the principal streets of Obuasi.
The security agencies which participated in the games include Mangum Security, Ghana Police Services, Ghana Armed Forces, Rehoboth security and MegaForce security.
Megaforce security defeated Magnum Security in penalties by four goals to two to take home the trophy. The Ghana Armed Forces team took the 2nd runner up position by beating the Ghana Police Service by two goals to nil.
Speaking after the event, Nana Ampofo Bekoe, Sustainability Manager of AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, said unity between the security agencies, the communities and AngloGold Ashanti is crucial to the success of the Mine.
AngloGold Ashanti is operating on a concession area of 201 km2 since 2016. It initially had a concession of 475 km2 until it relinquished 60 percent to the government of Ghana. The Obuasi Mine has been in operation since 1897. It has 63 communities within its concession including one Municipal Authority and four District Assemblies in five Traditional Stool lands.
There were crisis between AngloGold Ashanti and illegal miners in 2016 which necessitated the need for government to bring in security reinforcement to boost the private security agencies already contracted by the mine. Attempts by illegal miners to intrude the working areas of AngloGold Ashanti have been a fight the Mine has been indulging for many years.
AngloGold Ashanti has started operations after almost five years of suspending underground mining. Since the merger between AngloGold and Ashanti Goldfields in 2004 which brought about the birth of AngloGold Ashanti, the Mine has pumped in $1.2Billion in capital investment.