Resident’s of Obuasi in the Ashanti region has today, 21st August 2022, stage a joint peaceful walk demonstration organised by Appianin Bonsec Fun Club in the Obuasi township to register their displeasure over encroachment of the AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi mine by illegal miners(intruders).
According to their accounts, this is the leading agent that led to the shut down of the mine in 2014 and must be address urgently.
Addressing the Media, Odeneho Kofi Appianin, chairman of Appianin Bonsec Fun Club who led the demonstration appealed to the Overlord of Ashanti, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to summon the President Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo to put measures in place to chase out this intruders to save the mine from shutting down. “there is no Obuasi without AGA, save AGA to save Obuasi” he said.
With the fear of losing a permit given by AGA to mine on some abandoned parts of their concession as legal small scale miners, Mr. Francis Owusu Boamah, chairman for Mini Mining Association of Small scale miners who joined the demonstration told the Media that his association has form a task force to trace this illegal act. ” anyone who will be found involved will not have it easy.”
He commended AGA for granting them the access to mine on their abandoned concession, and therefore promised to rally behind them to fight this intruders and keep the company safe.
Secretary for Local Contractors Association, Solomon Nana Amoako Acheampong also revealed that, most of this intruders are believed to be foreign nationals from neighbouring countries who sometimes attack workers of the mine whiles declaring support to save the mine.
