Mining company calls for action to protect investors

Owere Mines, a gold mining company operating in the Asante-Akim Central Municipality, battling with illegal miners for control of its concession, has called for the appropriate state institutions to act decisively to give protection to investors.

Over 200 illegal miners have forcibly seized portions of the concession – briskly digging for gold ore and efforts by the company to remove them have met fierce resistance.

It said, it found it unnerving the indifference of the authorities to what was happening, insisting that, this was not sending a right signal to people to put their money in the country.

The complete disregard for the mining rules and regulations, the company noted was awful and asked that it stopped.

Mr. David Nketiah, the Head of Security, said the activities of the illegal gold diggers could frustrate plans to secure more funds to expand its operation.

Again, it was making the workers to feel unsafe and insecure, he added.

He spoke of an instance where a formal report was made to the Konongo police on the attack on one of the company’s security personnel on February 26, by the illegal miners, but no arrest was made.

This could only embolden them to continue to plunder and threaten the security of the workers.

He said it had officially petitioned the Ashanti Regional Minister and was eager to see swift response.

Police Superintendent Bossman Ohene Boadi, the Konnogo Divisional Commander, confirmed to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that he was aware of what was happening and detailed officers to assess the situation.

He gave the assurance that the municipal security committee would soon meet to decide on the appropriate line of action.

The illegal miners are accusing the company of failing to pay royalties to the communities, where it has been operating and refusing to engage the local people to work at the mine.

These accusations, have however, been flatly reject by the company.

Source: GNA