The Savana Research and Advocacy Network (SRAN) and the and the Foundation for the Transformation of Marginalised Areas (TAMA Foundation Universal), Civil Society Organisations operating in the Upper East Region, have called on Erl International group, a large scale gold mining group in the Ghane Community of the Talensi District of Ghana, to compensate or resettle affected settlers in the Ghane and Obuasi mining sites that will be affected by the expansion of their activities, to ameliorate their suffering.
The group admitted that it is within the right of the Erl group to carry out their activities in the affected areas since it has been legally acquired. They however appealed to the Erl Group to carry out its activities humanely with respect to the dignity of the affected people who earned their living there even before their arrival.
“We understand that the Obusai site and the settlement is one of the areas that is within the concession area Earl International (Shaanxi) has secured mining rights to mine gold and therefore it is within their right to prepare the place to pave way for the expansion of their operations. However, we caution that the company carries out this exercise humanely and with respect to the dignity of the residents who have been eking their living in the area long before Earl International expressed interest to disrupt their peace and livelihoods.”
The two groups at a press conference at the Bolgatanga SSNIT hall on Thursday 15th September, cautioned the mining company not to aggravate the plight of the people by driving them away without any compensation because that will be a violation of the mining laws of Ghana.
” That Earl International (Shaanxi) should not further aggravate the economic plight of the residents by driving them away without compensation. This is because the Minerals & Mining Law 2006, in Regulation 2012 (LI2175) requires mining companies to develop and implement a compensation plan to ameliorate the suffering of community members whose land and other resources will be affected.”
They also called for the constitution of a compensation and resettlement community to spearhead a proper compensation plan for the affected victims.
“That, the Talensi Traditional Council, Talensi District Assembly, the Member of Parliament for Talensi, the Minerals Commission and the Regional Minister should as a matter of urgency ensure that there is proper compensation and resettlement for all the communities that will be affected by Earl International’s (Shaanxi) operations. That, with immediate effect, a resettlement/compensation committee be constituted to spearhead negotiations for the right compensation or resettlement to be paid and done to protect life and property and also to make way for the company to work peacefully.”
Mr. Naa Albert, an executive of SRAN in an interview on the Friday edition of the Word Community Watch Show on Word FM, said the two groups will resort to the court for redress if the Erl Group fails to do the needful.
Shanxiii Mining Group, a company that was brought to the Ghane community in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region by Yenyeya and Pubodtaaba mining group, to provide mining support services about ten years ago, changed its name to Erl International group and successfully secured a large-scale mining license from the Government of Ghana which upgrades their 0.2km2 concession to 16km2.
It subsequently reached an agreement with Yenyeya and Pubodtaaba mining companies and other 36 small scale mining concession holders operating in the affected area to take over their concessions to go large scale mining. The company and the companies agreed on a compensation amount, and were duly paid though some still argue that they have not received their share.
By: Simon Agana Blessing/mywordfmonline.com