…Over Discrimination Against Ghanaian Managers
News filtering into the office of the New Crusading GUIDE points to a mounting tension at AngloGold Ashanti (Iduaprime Mine) in Tarkwa in the Western Region over persistent discrimination against Ghanaian top managers.
Reliable sources say top local managers are not happy about the fact that they are always sidelined when it comes appointing Chief Executive Officer or Managing Director for the Iduaprime mine even though they are exceptionally qualified.
“Even though we have the requisite competence and qualification for the topmost job, persons are brought from outside to come and manage us here. This is totally unacceptable!” an angry manager told the media yesterday.
Since 2009, expatriates have been appointed to head the facility to the chagrin of their “competent and qualified” Ghanaian counterparts.
For instance, Billy Mawasha from South Africa was appointed Managing Director in 2009 and ended his term in 2011. Secelo Ntuli, also from South Africa, was appointed MD in 2011 and ended his term in 2016
Jasper Musadaidzwa from Zimbabwe took over in 2016 and is expected to end his term by end of 2019.
However, sources within the multi-national company have told this paper that the Ghanaian top managers who have been sidelined over the years are resisting attempts to bring in another expatriate to run affairs when Mr. Musadaidzwa ends his term later in the year.
“I can tell you that there is uneasy calm among top managers here. This time around, we are not going to allow any foreign person to become MD; we have qualified and top notch Ghanaian professionals who can equally do the job,” another top manager fumed and warned, “This is our time”.
The paper learnt the Ghanaian managers are upset with the fact that top managers in AngloGold subsidiaries in other countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe always resist attempts to bring Ghanaian MD’s to manage them.
“Our colleagues in other African countries don’t accept Ghanaian as MDs. Why? Are they better than us?” another manager queried.
According to him, these negative developments make nonsense of the local content policy that government officials have been trumpeting in the oil and mining sectors.
Meanwhile, chiefs and elders of Apinto Divisional Council, custodians of Tarkwa lands, have also expressed concern about the persistent discrimination against Ghanaians even though the profitable mine is situated on their land.
They believe AngloGold Ashanti must make conscious efforts to let Ghanaians run the affairs of the company to boost confidence in the local people.
In a statement, they warned that they would do everything possible to make indigenes and Ghanaians for that matter occupy the topmost positions in the company.
Opinion leaders of Apinto Divisional Council, who are also the owners of Tarkwa lands, are also backing the Anglogold employees, saying they will not sit idle for the shameless discrimination to go one.
They have served warning that they will continue to agitate for Ghanaian to also be given the chance to head the Iduaprim Mine.
Sources close to the chiefs say will soon hold a press conference to press home their demand and also urge government not to renege on its local content policy promise.
