Amansie West small scale-miners Association have expressed concern with regards burning of excavators and equipment belonging to its members that are operating legally.
According to them, the use of the military to destroy and harass its members was not one of the measures agreed on during the national dialogue on mining.
More than 20 excavators and several pieces of mining equipment valued at unspecified amount of million dollars have been burnt at the sites of their members in the various sites within the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region.
At a news conference on 25, May, 2021 at Manso Nkwata, the district capital, President of the Amansie West small scale-miners Association, Daniel Kwaku Mensah alias DKM has urged the government to fix the problems they have caused them especially those who operate legally by compensating them.
“We never discussed the involvement of the military men in the fight or using brutal force in the fight against even illegal mining. We are expressing our displeasure about government’s sadden change on issues raised at the recently held Small Scale Mining dialogue,” he said.
The Association wants Lands and Natural Resources, Minister Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor to clarify the President’s directives to Ghanaians about the military burning their excavators on-site.
Mr Daniel kwaku Mensah further questioned, “Can’t government liaise with the Minerals Commission for the names of Small Scale block out areas across the country and share with the deployed military personnel to prevent them from harassing legally licensed miners”?
The Association intends to go back to their respective mining sites to work no matter what and resort to legal means should government fail to address their concerns.
