Adedientam Youth Clash With Extra Gold Security Personnel ….As Two People Are Shot In The Hands

From Isaac Akwetey-Okunor, Adedietam

Information reaching The Chronicle indicates that two galamsey (illegal) miners at Adedientam, a farming community in the East Akyem Municipality of the Eastern Region, were reportedly shot and wounded on Wednesday, following a clash between the youth and the security personnel of Extra Gold Mining Limited, which operates in the area.

Reports reaching The Chronicle named the wounded as Owusu Ernest, 20, and Kwasi Opoku, 29, who were shot in their right arms, and have been taken to the Kibi Government Hospital for treatment. Several other youths were said to have sustained various degrees of cutlass wounds during the clash.

Narrating the incident to the paper, the Assembly Member of the area, Isaac Boamah Darko, said the near-death encounter occurred because the affected persons refused to pay a sum of GH¢1,000 to the security personnel.

According to him, the management of the company had given out portions of its concession to some small-scale miners in the area, who left the pits unattended after their unscrupulous activities.

The Adedientem Assembly Member disclosed that many of the youth of the area, who have been denied their livelihoods as their farms have been destroyed by those small-scale miners, go to the pits already worked on by the miners to further wash the heaps of sand, in the hope of finding Mr. Boamah claimed that the security personnel of the company, without any sympathy, always demanded GH¢1,000 from the poor youth before they (security personnel) allowed them to work.

The youth of the area, who were not happy with the development, decided to fight the security personnel that fateful day, leading to two being shot in the right arms, while others sustained various degrees of wounds.

Assembly Member Darko has consequently called on the government, particularly the Municipal Chief Executive of the area, Simon Asirifi, to act immediately to resolve the impasse, before it escalates into an uncontrollable situation.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Teye Martey, West Akyem Municipal Police Commander, confirmed the incident when reached on his cell phone, but said that his office was still investigating the matter, and could only give details after the investigation.

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