FGM mining company has chased out hundreds of illegal miners on their concession at Noyem in Birim North District in Eastern Region .
The illegal miners both males and females who claim they are numbering about one thousand five hundred (1,500) have over the period invaded the mining concession using explosives to illegally mine gold in a over 300meters deep shaft abandoned by previous company.
The illegal miners use the explosives to blast rocks underground after which the fragmented rocks are loaded into sacks,carried out and hauled in large quantities.
The blasting continue to be a source of worry for residents in nearby communities as it creates fear and panic and also weakening their buildings.
It is also reported to be weakening buildings causing agitations from the affected persons against the FGM company.
Sensing potential danger, the mining company has mobilized security personnel to carry out an operation to remove all illegal miners from its concession.
The open pit and shaft were closed and reclaimed after the illegal were expulsed.
Two excavators were also seized during the operations in other parts of the concession.
The illegal miners accused the chief of Noyem for deceiving them that they could go ahead to mine in the shaft hence has since become a source of livelihood for over five thousand people in the community therefore denying them access would be a huge blow.
The illegal miners claimed they make between Ghc1,000 to Ghc5000 daily from gold they extract from the shaft.
“We put the blame on the chief for selling the land without informing us.What he did nearly landed us into trouble because clashing with the soldiers on the land he sold might have resulted in another chaos and people may die out of this.We dig the hole and enter after that we plaster the inside you will have to also employ labourers, buy diesel and petrol infact you will bear all the cost by yourself.We always interact with the Chief and he always guide us.But now we have uncured huge debts of about Ghc 150 million old cedis because we bought three pullers. This and many others cost when estimated may cost about 2 billion old cedis that we have loss.Almost 1500 people , male and female work here daily” an illegal miners lamented.
However, the Executive Assistant in charge of operation at FGM Emmanuel Okai Mintah said the operation was necessary to avert disaster.
He said recently some illegal miners were trapped dead in other parts of the district again, a 14 year old girl drowned in one of the abandoned illegal mining pits at Wusiwusi on the concession of Akroma Mining company at the blind side of the company therefore the need to secure the concession to protect lives and properties.
According to him,using explosive devices for illegal mining shows the extent of impunity .
“we have had complains from the community two three months ago that people keep on blasting within the shafts so when it happens like that it shakes their communities their buildings and all that ,so they tend to come to our office to complain that they beg we should hold on to the blasting to relocate them but we keep on telling them we have not even started work yet here .We are now putting up our office structures and other stuffs .so our investigation showed that there are illegal miners operating day and night so what as management we decided to act”. Emmanuel Okai Mintah said.
Emmanuel Okai Mintah said the company is committed to training and employing some of the youth in its mining operations.
He also said the company will continue its corporate social interventions to improve the living standards of the people.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
