Nana Akwasi Awuah (left), the Managing Director of Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), presenting the coin to Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor
The dignity, wisdom and moral authority Otumfuo Osei Tutu II brings to bear on public life in the country is exemplary, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, has said.
“He comes to our public life, public discourse and public engagement with a certain wisdom, dignity and moral authority,” he said.
Consequently, the minister said the collaboration between the E ON 3 Group and its partners to honour Otumfuo with a commemorative gold coin “is in the right direction.”
Mr Jinapor said this when he was presented with the Otumfuo Commemorative Gold Coin at a short ceremony in his office in Accra on Thursday, February 17, 2022.
A delegation from the E ON 3 Group and its partners presented the gold coin to him.
Example to the young
Further eulogising the Asantehene, Mr Jinapor said In several parts of the world, leaders of the kind of Otumfuo were celebrated to serve as an example to the young ones coming up.
“Every country needs that because several times we get ourselves into the prejudice and myopic thinking in terms of issues, partisanship, division and conflict, which requires that we have people of his kind who will bring their wisdom to bear on matters of national importance,” he said.
The minister emphasised that the honour done the Asantehene was highly deserving and he prayed that many more of such honours would come his way.
Value chain
Mr Jinapor stressed the need for the retention of the minerals value chain,
“We can only make progress as a people if we retain the value chain of our natural resources generally, and mineral resources in particular,” the minister noted.
“This is the vision of the President and that was the instructions he gave to me when he appointed me to be in charge of this ministry, which is in charge of mining,” he added.
Citing South Africa as one country that had maintained a strong minerals value chain, Mr Jinapor said since the period of apartheid, the entire value chain of South Africa’s mining had been intact.
“That is why it is refreshing that this venture (Otumfuo Commemorative Gold Coin) was conceived and implemented right here in Ghana and we did not go not outside to mint the gold and to that extent the E ON 3 Group and Gold Coast Refinery deserve applause and commendation.
From right: Mr Festus Ofosu Yeboah, Business Head, Adjiringanor branch of Access Bank; Mrs Yvonne Antonio, the Head of Retail Banking of Access Bank; Mr Paul Asimenu, the Legal Advisor of Gold Coast Refinery; Mr Jesse Agyepong, General Manager, E ON 3 Group; Mr Richard Adjei Mensah Ofori Atta, Executive Chairman, E ON 3 Group; Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor; Mr Benito Owusu Bio, a Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources; Nana Akwasi Awuah, Managing Director, PMMC; Mr Seth Sorgah. the Head of Sales and Distribution, Coronation Insurance, and Margmay Mefful, Strategy- Retail Banking Head, Access Bank
You have the full support of government through this ministry,” he stated.
Appreciation
He thanked the architects of the gold coin project for the honour done him with the presentation of the coin.
“As the supervising ministry, we are part and parcel of the enterprise,” he posited.