SMore than 750 residents of Nsawam-Adoagyiri have dragged two quarry operators and four state institutions before the High Court in Accra, demanding GH¢13.78 million in compensation for alleged damage to their homes, businesses and health caused by persistent blasting activities.
The 754 residents, who are suing through Lukman Ali Osman, Ali Ibn E. Chambas and Angela Adu-Poku, accuse Aky Mining Services Limited and Peabo Quarry Limited of conducting blasting operations without adequate regard for the safety of people living within the quarry’s catchment area.
The suit, filed as HR/022/2019, also names the Minister of Interior, the Minerals Commission, the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly and the Attorney-General as defendants.
According to the plaintiffs’ amended writ of summons and statement of claim, the quarry operations have subjected residents to varying degrees of personal injury and property damage.
They contend that the companies have failed to take adequate safety precautions in the use of explosives, resulting in damage to residential buildings, businesses and other properties in the municipality.
The residents are also accusing the state institutions of failing to properly supervise the quarry operations, arguing that the Minerals Commission, the Interior Minister and the Municipal Assembly have statutory responsibilities to regulate the industry and protect public safety.
They claim that the alleged regulatory failures allowed the quarry operators to use explosives in ways that endangered residents and their properties.
The plaintiffs are consequently asking the court to declare the two quarry companies negligent in their use of explosives.
A compensation schedule attached to the suit lists individual claims by the 754 residents, comprising landlords, tenants and business operators.
The amounts vary from a few hundred cedis to hundreds of thousands of cedis, bringing the total compensation being demanded to GH¢13,785,695.
Beyond the compensation, the plaintiffs are seeking interest on the amount from the date the writ was issued until final payment.
They are also asking for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from using the quarry as a storage facility for explosives.
The residents further want the court to award legal fees equivalent to 25 per cent of the total compensation claimed, as well as costs and any other relief the court considers appropriate.
The plaintiffs maintain that despite repeated demands, the defendants have failed or refused to compensate them for the alleged losses.
They argue that the refusal has subjected them to economic hardship and embarrassment, insisting that court intervention has become necessary to secure compensation.
