The families of James Acquah and Cecilia Gyapong, natives of Wassa Juabo in the Western Region have petitioned the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to hurriedly stop a Canadian mining group, C& J Aleska from further damaging the lands of inhabitants in the area.
The mining group, the families allege are currently engaged in illegal mining in the area as well as some parts of the Western and Ashanti Regions.
Addressing a press conference in Kumasi last Wednesday, spokesperson for the families George Kofi Amponsah recounted with tears the cruel manner the Canadian mining group has taken over large portions of lands belonging to them.
Operating with fictitious licenses as the spokesperson claimed, the foreign company have despite an injunction the family secured at the Tarkwa High Court barring it from commencing any activity in the disputed land is still mining using some Military and Police personnel as protective shields.
ALLEGATIONS:
Making further claims, Mr Amponsah said C& J Aleska according to checks it made at the Minerals Commission secured a prospecting license in August 9th, 2016 to enter the Wassa Forest Reserve which originally belonged to the indigenes of Wassa Juabo.
However, the spokesperson noted that the foreign group has since that time mined large portions of their family lands.
This, he noted necessitated the family’s court action last year to seek to stop the mining group from further perpetrating its illegal activity in the Wassa Juabo area.
In a court document dated 31st March, 2017 the Minerals Commission upon a document they tendered at the Tarkwa High Court stated C&J was seriously engaged in illegal mining on its prospecting license located at Juabo in the Western Region.
ULTIMATUM:
The spokesperson has therefore urged the Nana Addo government to halt the activities of the foreign company before the end of this month.
This, he said is necessary to prevent the indigenes of the town from also looking elsewhere for means to guard and protect their lands.
The town folks, Mr Amponsah revealed has resolved to use brute force to deal with the mining group if it continues to flout both the injunction and contempt suit it secured against the mining group at the Tarkwa High Court.
The families, the spokesperson mentioned is also tasking the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry and the Minerals Commission to enforce its laws by calling for the arrest of the foreign nationals engaged in illegal mining despite the ban on it in the country.
What do you think about this piece? Share your comment in the comment thread and share the story using the social media buttons above. Thank you.
