The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union has showered praises on the late former President, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings for his enormous contribution to the mining industry and the wellbeing of mineworkers in the country during his tenure in office.
According to the General Secretary of the Union, Abdul-Moomin Gbana, “As Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 2000, Mr Rawlings initiated and implemented aggressive policies to stimulate investments into the minerals economy in Ghana.”
He stated that the First President of the Fourth Republic who was honoured during the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union 75th anniversary with a Platinum Award transformed Ghana’s mining industry through various initiatives and policies.
He said this when he spoke at the preliminary session of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Accra yesterday, noting that, the leadership of the late President through the Economic Recovery Programme in 1983 helped boost investor interest in the mining sector.
He noted that “Between 1983 and 1998, the mining industry brought approximately US$4 billion in Foreign Direct Investment to Ghana, representing more than 60 per cent of all such investment in the country” under Mr Rawlings’ leadership.
“His demonstration of excellence, high standards of ethical conduct, integrity and civic and social responsibility in those trying days made it possible for the mining sector to attract the needed Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) for its transformation,” he added.
He also expressed the Union’s condolence to the family of the late President, the Government and people of Ghana and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a party he founded.
Mr Gbana touched on corruption and stressed the need for measures to be put in place to curb it.
As stated by him, the phenomenon was detrimental to the utilisation of the country’s natural resources for the benefit of all, and called on all Labour Unions in the country to collaborate and voice out against such occurrences.
“Trade unions are a part and parcel of the governance architecture of this country and must join the fight against corruption,” he said.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Ghana Mineworkers Union, Mr Mensah Kwarko Gyakari bemoaned the situation, and noted that, “Corruption is eating us up and this fight starts from us, so, let’s speak up against it.”
Mr Gyakari also asked Union leaders to be strong and firm in ensuring that workers do not cry over redundancy as being experienced in many companies, and charged workers not to compromise on ethical practices at their various work places.
The Deputy Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Joshua Ansah lauded the Union for being consistent in holding its NEC meetings, urging them not to relent in voicing out against corruption in the country.
He disclosed that, beginning January 2021, the former TUC annex which has been turned into the Ghana Labour College would be used to train and build the capacity of all TUC members through various programmes which has been developed.
BY FRANCIS NTOW
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