Emmanuel A. Cherry, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GCCI), has disclosed a disturbing trend in the construction sector, where heavy-duty machine operators employed by contractors are abandoning their jobs to work for illegal mining operators known as galamsey.
Mr. Cherry attributes this shift to the inability of contractors to pay their workers due to outstanding government debts. Faced with unpaid wages, many equipment operators have turned to galamsey operators to earn a living by handling heavy machinery on mining sites.
During an interview on GhOne News Tonight monitored by Kumasimail, Mr. Cherry warned that the failure to settle these debts urgently would trigger the collapse of the entire construction sector.
“If the government does not pay us promptly, our companies will collapse, leading to mass redundancies and loss of employment across the sector,” he stressed.
Highlighting the security implications of the situation, he noted, “As we speak today, many machine operators who used to work for contractors are now on mining sites operating heavy equipment for galamsey operators. This shift is primarily driven by unemployment and the need to sustain livelihoods.”
Mr. Cherry further criticized the government’s recent assurances, stating, “The President gave his word, which was supposed to act as a solid commitment, something we could count on. However, the deadline he set has elapsed, and we are left wondering who advised him to give such a timeline when the situation remains unresolved.”
This revelation precedes a formal appeal made by the construction industry to the Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, demanding the immediate payment of GH¢32 billion owed by the government to contractors across the country.
Source: www.Kumasimail/Kwadwo Owusu
