At a time when government is waging war against illegal mining activities in the country, the Talensi Mining Communities Initiative (TAMCI), an advocacy group in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region is set to lead illegal miners in a massive demonstration against Earl International Group Gold Ghana Limited, a large-scale mining company in whose concession the illegal miners operate.
According to the group, the demonstration is necessitated by an action taken by the National Anti-illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to flush out all forms of illegal mining operations in the Gbane area.
In an official notice to security agencies in the region and signed by the group’s Chairman Bismark Zumah, TAMCI said “We, in collaboration with small-scale miners, bring to your attention our intention to demonstrate against Earl International Gold Group Gh Ltd for closing our pits. Our intelligence gathering indicates the Regional Security Council and District Security Council were not aware of the closure of our mining pits. It was a private arrangement between Earl International and Taskforce from Accra. We allowed it for respect of state security and your office. That attack was irresponsible, illegitimate and unprovoked attack on our livelihood. The hardship brought on us by the exercise is unbearable”.
The advocacy group further served notice that “We hereby notify you of our intention to re-open our pits and operate within Level Four (4) by conducting peaceful demonstrations”.
The decision by the group to lead illegal miners operating in the concession of a licensed large scale mining company in a demonstration has sent shock waves to security agencies, stakeholders and key players in the mining industry in the upper east region as they described the move as unimaginable.
The Gbane Mining Area was re-zoned by the Government of Ghana for Large Scale Mining in 2016. Following government’s decision to reclassify the area for large scale mining, series of engagements were held with all licensed small-scale miners and concession owners whose concessions fell within the area leased out for large scale mining for the purposes of sanitizing and settling the issues that arose.
The Regional Security Council, Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency facilitated the engagements that led to the birth of a 12th July, 2021 agreement signed between the large-scale mining company Earl International Group Gold Ghana Ltd and licensed concession owners to extinguish their interest in their concessions and to take 2% shares in the production of the company. As part of the reconciliation process, compensations were also paid to the concession owners.
“What this simply means is that, no small-scale miner whether licensed or not has any legitimate claim to mining in our concession. Any form of mining activity going on in the Gbane area that is not done or sanctioned by us is illegal mining,” Albert Azongo, Assistant Public Relations Officer of Earl Group said in a written response to mynewsgh.com.
