Bogoso-Prestea Mine: Staff call for Gov’t takeover over mismanagement by FGR
Aggrieved mine workers at Future Global Resources (FGR) in the Bogoso Prestea region have issued a stern ultimatum to the government. They are demanding that the authorities assume control of the mines and transfer the concession to a new investor.
This call arises from their deep dissatisfaction with what they perceive as a lack of investment and mismanagement of the mine, resulting in compromised worker safety and the non-payment of workers’ Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions.
FGR took over the mining concession in the Prestea-Huni-Valley Municipality from Golden Star Resources in 2020, with the promise of revitalizing the operation. However, three years after the takeover, approximately 500 mine workers and host communities are left disillusioned, as their initial hopes for improvements have faded.
The mine’s underperformance has led to at least two major industrial disputes, prompting local traditional leaders to petition the government about what they consider to be poor management by FGR.
Leaders of the FGR workers, who recently resumed work following a six-day sit-down strike, highlight a shortage of investment and mismanagement as the core issues. Consequently, they are urging the government to step in and take over the mines.
Adding weight to these concerns, a contractor supplying fuel to FGR has revealed that the company owes suppliers for an outstanding period of approximately one year, further supporting the workers’ calls for intervention.
The Gyaasehene of Prestea Himan, Nana Mutty Ankamah, representing the six paramount chiefs in the area who previously petitioned the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, has accused FGR of a lack of transparency in its operations and a failure to deliver the corporate social investments that other mines offer to local communities.
In response to these mounting grievances, Wisdom Cudjoe, the Member of Parliament for Prestea-Huni-Valley, met with the workers upon receiving the petition from the local chiefs and workers. He has pledged to raise the issue of the mines’ indebtedness with the Speaker of the Parliament, indicating a potential avenue for government intervention.
