We’ll Stop Extra Gold From Mining In Our Area If They Don’t Reclaim Our Land – Assemblyman Reveals

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Fighting illegal mining in Ghana has been very difficult and it seems the nation can not win the fight anymore even after the president launched operation vanguard and Galamstop to ensure proper, legal and regulated mining.

Residents of Awenare, a mining community in the Atiwa West district in the eastern region has not been spared of the repercussions of mining in the district. All their water bodies which previously were their main sources of water are polluted and no longer safe for drinking, cooking, bathing, and for other household chores.

However, the Assembly member for the area, Hon. Appiah -Korang Hanson has revealed in a studio discussion on Our land, Our future, an environmental Program on Radio 1 100.7fm that the concession in Awenare is for Extra Gold Mining Company and are sublets to individual miners. He added that there are many instances residents have lost their lives by being trapped by the open pits which one even happened three days ago.

Again, Hon. Hanson Appiah – korang believes that Extra Gold Mining Company looks unconcerned about the happenings in the area because none of their relatives are affected though a lot of lives are adversely affected. He added that they would form a community task force to sack the miners from their land if Extra Gold fails to reclaim their lands and regulate the mining in the area.

“Relatives of workers are not dying, the miners are not dying, but Awenare residents are dying. So we have decided to form a task force to enforce the regulation and give Extra gold timeline to reclaim the land and regulate the mining otherwise we’ll stop every mining on our land” – Hon. Hanson passionately said.

He lamented on how authorities of the mining company has over the years neglected their corporate social responsibilities to the community yet mining is ongoing.

It is also important to know that Awenare is the hometown of the Road minister and member of parliament for Atiwa West, Hon. Kwesi Amoako Atta

By: Nana Gyasi | Radio 1 |Ghana