Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited (CNML), a subsidiary of Shandong Gold in China, has reaffirmed its commitment to construct an airport in the Upper East region.
Shandong Gold is one of the top 10 gold-producing companies in the world. It is located in the Asia Pacific. Ghana is the first African country to start doing business with the company.
The company was granted a mining license by the Minerals Commission to carry out surface gold mining in the Talensi district of the Upper East Region.
With a 15-year mine license, subject to renewal, CNML envisages processing 150 million tonnes of ore, which will yield approximately 5.1 million ounces of gold over the mine’s lifespan. Ahead of plans to pour its first gold in the last quarter of 2024, Emmanuel Kofi Adusei, the Community and Social Responsibility manager, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to construct an airport in the Upper East Region.
“The airport idea is still on. We had a plan initially to do an airstrip, so, in some of our plans, you could see an airstrip within our area here but at a point, we realized that it shouldn’t be an airstrip because other people would use it. So, it is better to put it outside our mining lease”, Mr. Adusei stated.
Mr. Adusei said this during a monitoring visit to the project site by the Regional Security Council, led by Stephen Yakubu, Chairman of REGSEC and Minister for the Upper East Region.
The idea to construct an airport in the region was first made public in September last year, when the Chamber of Mines visited the Upper East Regional Minister.
The minister at the time, proposed for the company to construct the airport on already demarcated land at Sumbrungu.
“From there, the Minister for Lands traveled to China for a mining conference and he had the opportunity to visit our headquarters, this discussion came up and our headquarters assured us that it is something we want to do. So, at the moment, we are in discussion with the central government on a few issues regarding this airport. We hope that we will be able to finalize them, and we will see this project,” Mr. Adusei added.
Emmanuel Kofi Adusei, the Community and Social Responsibility Manager of Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited (CNML), disclosed that the purpose of constructing an airport in the region is not to make money, however, “it is part of our contribution towards national development.”
Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu mentioned that an airport for the region is a priority project for the people of the region.
“I know that the vice president is very interested in it and the entire region. If you will not do anything at all for us and you help us build an airport, people will always support you,” he appealed.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Talensi|Ghana
