The Obuasi Municipal Assembly is seeking divine intervention to improve the dwindling gold production at AngloGold Ashanti's Obuasi mine. Officials say gold production at the mine has gone down by close to 10 per cent within the past year, recording the lowest figure in the mine’s 113th year of operations in the area. The local union of churches is collaborating with the Assembly and AngloGold Ashanti to hold inter-denominational activities to seek divine favour to reverse the dwindling fortunes at the Obuasi mine. Residents defied a heavy downpour to attend a special interdenominational service attended by top management members of Anglo Gold Ashanti, the Municipal Chief Executive as well as the clergy at the Black Park. Residents in the mine’s catchment have in recent times expressed worry at the current state of affairs. The number of people employed at the Obuasi mine has been cut from 14,500 to 4,500. Communities fear the local economy is in danger because the mass retrenchment affects breadwinners. Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive, John Alexander Ackon shares the concerns of the residents and implored residents and staff of AngloGold to join hands in praying for a divine intervention. "This is the cry of the citizenry for the mine to be revamped and be economically sustainable to be able to engage particularly the youth to alleviate their plight", he told residents at the church service. Quoting Biblical Solomon era, he said, "King Solomon in his wisdom is urging us to direct whatever we want to do in the hands of God". Emphasizing the importance of the programme, Mr. Ackon said "the essence of this programme is to commit AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine into the hands of the Lord for higher productivity". He is hopeful prayers will have a "ripple effect on the entire society". Meanwhile, the Executive Manager in charge of Human Resource at AngloGold, Hussein Abugri has disclosed the shutdown of one shaft which produces between 40,000 and 50,000 ounces of gold. About 312,000 ounces of gold are expected this year as a result of the closure of one of the tailing treatment plants to give way to reconstruction works. "We shut it down for this year to do a pipeline from the plant which has been producing between 40,000 and 50,000 ounces of gold to the new plant". He however allayed fears that the situation was too alarming as being portrayed elsewhere, arguing "we haven’t reached that alarming stage yet". "So it is not so alarming. All that we have to ensure is that production comes from underground", he explained, adding "we are not going to have surface mining this year", he explained. Story by: Ohemeng Tawiah/Nhyira Fm, Kumasi/Ghana