Accra, April 13, GNA – A delegation of Directors of the newly reconstituted Management Board of the Ghana Bauxite Company (GBC) has paid a working visit to the company’s mining site in Awaso to familiarise themselves with operations.
The team, which was led by the Executive Board Chairman of GBC, Mr. Isaac Ofori Poku, toured facilities at the mining site together with the General Manager, Mr. Frederick Sarkodie.
The team visited the Administration, the Community Hospital, the Community School, recreational Centres and GBC Guest Houses, the various mining concessions, the Haulage Area, the Crusher, and the Washing Plant, among others.
The Board interacted with the workers to find ways to address existing challenges at the mines following the takeover from the Chinese.
The new Board took over the management of the GBC from the Bosai Minerals Group from China, which had managed the company from February 2010 to February 2022.
The visit by the Board allowed the GBC technical engineers to take the officials through operations at the mining site.
The GBC has been producing metallurgical grade Bauxite which is known as trihydrate sweetener Bauxite for over 80 years and recently Bosai Mineral Group has sold its 80% shares in GBC to a new Ghanaian consortium.
GBC produces high quality trihydrate bauxite with typical alumina (Al2O3) content of 52% and low silica of 1.5%.
The GBC under the new Board and the new management is poised to ramp up production from 1.2 million metric tonnes per annum currently to 5 million metric tonnes annually starting from the year 2023.
Briefing the workers, the Executive Board Chairman, Mr. Isaac Ofori Poku, officially welcomed and introduced all members of the Board to the GBC workers.
Mr Poku thanked the workers for standing by the company during the difficult times in the past.
He announced that a purely Ghanaian consortium had taken over the majority shares of the GBC and would position the company well for progress.
The GBC Executive Board Chairman extended appreciation to the CEO of Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) Mr. Michael Ansah for his full cooperation.
He gave the workers the full assurance that the new Board was a very strong and solid team and was sure of success.
“It is my prayer that we move this company to greater heights which is achievable,” he said, adding that no workers would be laid off as the company had no restructuring plans
“We are fully confident that you are our workers and you have done it and continued to do it. We know that you can do it even better,” the GBC Executive Board Chairman stated.
He encouraged the workers to sacrifice and cooperate with the Board to leave a legacy.
Mr. Isaac Ofori Poku also announced plans to woo investors to expand production for both export and the future bauxite refinery to create more jobs and add value to aluminum products.
In this connection, the Executive Board Chairman will lead GBC Management and other state agencies, including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Minerals Commission, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA) and GIADEC to an International Bauxite and Aluminum Conference in Miami, Florida, USA later in April.
This move is to explore more offtakers for Ghana’s Bauxite and investors for the Bauxite refinery.
This conference, according to the chairman will present participants the opportunity to make and explore critical strategic global partnerships.
“The Global Bauxite Conference will give us the opportunity to connect with investors and partners to build our own refinery in Ghana. It will also connect us to new and potential buyers of Ghana’s high demand Bauxite,” Mr. Isaac Ofori Poku stated.
On his Part, General Manager, Mr. Frederick Sarkodie, thanked the Executive Board Chairman and the delegation for the engagement, adding that it was refreshing that the new Board decided to visit and engage the workers.
“So, what this means is that they (the Board) will get to know firsthand not what they’ve been told but rather what actually they inherited as directors of GBC,” Mr. Sarkodie explained.
He added that the tour of the facilities will enable the management to better assess the current operational issues and improve upon it.
For his part, the National General Secretary and National Chairman of the Ghana Mines Workers Union, Mr Abdul-Moomin Gbana,
praised the Ghanaian Consortium and the efforts by the current Executive Board Chairman to ensure calm at the mining site.
He expressed optimism that the current Executive Board Chairman would steer the affairs to bring success and prosperity to the workers, the Awaso community and the country.
GNA