Features
Govt told to develop rail infrastructure, port to tap bauxite reserves
Mr Ayisi with Dr Kwesi Enyan, also an ALUMaT and Director and Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah (second right) at the workshop
The Head of Technical Services, Rocksure International Limited, Mr Godfried Addo Ayisi, says suggested it is critical for Ghana to speed-up expansion of railway and ports infrastructure, as part of the Integrated Aluminium Industry (IAI) strategies to tap huge potentials of the country’s bauxite reserves.
He said “For IAI to be successful, there is the need to focus on port facilities and plan railway infrastructure development so that bauxite mines and alumina refineries can easily access them.
“This is critical. Ghana has bauxite resources of commercial quantities. The IAI vision for Government of Ghana is laudable and beneficial and in the interest of government will be protected better.”
Mr Ayisi made these arguments last week when he spoke on the “Overview of Ghana’ Integrated Aluminium Industry” at the 11th annual ALUMaT lecture (2023) at UMaT School of Railways and Infrastructure Development (SRID).
He told the audience that the strategic master plan for the IAI mentioned the improvement of the 326 km western rail line to facilitate transportation and the expansion of the Takoradi Port to facilitate bauxite ore and alumna export.
Mr Ayisi, said the 37-kilometer Takoradi-Manso project funded by the government and executed by Amani had been completed whiles the 77km Manso -Huni Valley line funded by Deutshebank and executed by Amandi was, in progress.
However, the 212km Huni- Valley Nyinahin line to be executed by TheloDB was currently undergoing feasibility studies, but no source of funding secured yet, the lecturer said.
The extension of the gas pipeline through Nyinahin to Kumasi for the provision of adequate power for IAI, he added, was another plank of the strategy.
The 1987 ALuMaT group member stated that, Ghana’s Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC’s) vision for the downstream, was anchored by VALCO smelter to drive the utilisation of locally produced aluminium in Ghana and beyond.
Refinery alone, Mr Ayisi explained, would require the production of caustic soda, made from salt, adding “This is a whole industry by itself.”
He continued “It is clear that government idea of IAI to mine bauxite, refine bauxite into alumna, smelt it into aluminium and use it to produce downstream products will be very beneficial to the development of Ghana.”
Mr Ayisi proposed Ghana mined its bauxite and add value locally to tap huge capital outflows into the economy, arguing that the resources were of high quality with the potentials to drive development, create jobs, and also transform value chain within the mining industry.
Ghana’s total bauxite resource excluding the 814 Metric tonnes from Ejuanema, was 2,112 Mt, and that, assuming 80 percent conversion of the reserve was used at the price of $45.93 per tonne, the country’s total was value at $77.6 billion.
Ghana’s bauxite deposits, Mr Ayisi said, were located within forest reserves, as for example, Awaso was located within the Afao Hills forest reserve, Nyinahin-Mpasaso deposits located within the Tano Offin reserves.
With this, he suggested the use of a surface miner to protect the fauna and flora, using best practices of mining and environmental protection like reclamation and revegetation.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, also recognised the potentials of the aluminium industry to diversify the economy and reduce Ghana’s reliance on traditional exports like cocoa and gold.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Essikado
One of the issues we have been grappling with as a nation is corruption, and it has had such a devastating effect on our national development. I have been convinced that until morality becomes the foundation upon which our governance system is built, we can never go forward as a nation.
Our traditional practices, which have shaped our cultural beliefs, have always espoused values that have kept us along the straight and the narrow and have preserved our societies since ancient times.
These are values that frown on negative habits like stealing, cheating, greediness, selfishness, etc. Our grandparents have told us stories of societies where stealing was regarded as so shameful that offenders, when caught, have on a number of instances committed suicide.
In fact, my mother told me of a story where a man who was living in the same village as her mother (my grandmother), after having been caught stealing a neighbour’s cockerel, out of shame committed suicide on a mango tree. Those were the days that shameful acts were an abomination.
Tegare worship, a traditional spiritual worship during which the spirit possesses the Tegare Priest and begins to reveal secrets, was one of the means by which the society upheld African values in the days of my grandmother and the early childhood days of my mother.
Those were the days when the fear of being killed by Tegare prevented people from engaging in anti-social vices. These days, people sleeping with other people’s wives are not uncommon.
These wrongful behaviour was not countenanced at all by Tegare. One was likely going to lose his life on days that Tegare operates, and so unhealthy habits like coveting your neighbour’s wife was a taboo.
Stealing of other people’s farm produce, for instance, could mean certain death or incapacitation of the whole or part of the body in the full glare of everybody. People realised that there were consequences for wrongdoing, and this went a long way to motivate the society to adhere to right values.
Imagine a President being sworn into office and whoever administers the oath says, “Please say this after me: I, Mr. …., do solemnly swear by God, the spirits of my ancestors and the spirits ruling in Ghana, that should I engage in corrupt acts, may I and my family become crippled, may madness become entrenched in my family, may incurable sicknesses and diseases be my portion and that of my family, both immediate and extended.”
Can you imagine a situation where a few weeks afterwards the President goes to engage in corrupt acts and we hear of his sudden demise or incapacitation and confessing that he engaged in corrupt acts before passing or before the incapacitation—and the effect it will have on his successor? I believe we have to critically examine this option to curb corruption.
My grandmother gave me an eyewitness account of one such encounter where a woman died instantly after the Tegare Priest had revealed a wrong attitude she had displayed during the performance on one of the days scheduled for Tegare spirit manifestation.
According to her story, the Priest, after he had been possessed by the spirit, declared that for what the woman had done, he would not forgive her and that he would kill. Instantly, according to my grandmother, the lady fell down suddenly and she died—just like what happened to Ananias and his wife Sapphira in Acts Chapter 5.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Emotional distortions can indeed have a profound impact on an individual’s mental health and well-being. These distortions can lead to a range of negative consequences, including anxiety, depression, and impaired relationships.
Emotional surgery is a therapeutic approach that aims to address and heal emotional wounds, traumas, and blockages. This approach recognises that emotional pain can have a profound impact on an individual’s quality of life and seeks to provide a comprehensive and compassionate approach to healing.
How emotional surgery can help
Emotional surgery can help individuals:
Identify and challenge negative thought patterns: By becoming aware of emotional distortions, individuals can learn to challenge and reframe negative thoughts.
Develop greater emotional resilience: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop the skills and strategies needed to manage their emotions and respond to challenging situations.
Improve relationships: By addressing emotional wounds and promoting emotional well-being, individuals can develop more positive and healthy relationships with others.
The benefits of emotional surgery
The benefits of emotional surgery can include:
Improved mental health outcomes: Emotional surgery can help individuals reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Enhanced relationships: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop more positive and healthy relationships with others.
Increased self-awareness: Emotional surgery can help individuals develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their emotions.
A path towards healing
Emotional surgery offers a promising approach to addressing emotional distortions and promoting emotional well-being. By acknowledging the impact of emotional pain and seeking to provide a comprehensive and compassionate approach to healing, individuals can take the first step towards recovery and improved mental health.
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
BY ROBERT EKOW GRIMMOND-THOMPSON
