Mr. Frank Osei (Denero), the Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Chapter of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM), has called for a halt to all operations while a collaborative dialogue ensues to address errors in mining practices.
The call follows a recent clash between a police task force and community members at Bonteso, which led to the arrests that sparked concerns about the treatment of small-scale miners.
Speaking during a visit to Bonteso, Chairman Denero stated that while there might be errors or mistakes in their work, the approach to addressing them should be more constructive.
He emphasized the need for the authorities to halt all operations and engage in discussions with the miners to ensure that reclamation is done regularly after mining and assured that the Union was ever ready to dialogue over the matter.
Chairman Denero also expressed concern over the portrayal of Ghanaian miners as criminals noting that it was unfair to attack Ghanaian miners while shielding others, a situation he described as worrying.
“It is never fair to attack Ghanaian miners and be shielding others. It is very worrying that we are being portrayed as criminals, which is never the case,” he stressed.
The GNASSM Chairman emphasised the commitment of small-scale miners to working together for the betterment of Ghana. He noted that the country’s youth are suffering and that mining could be a solution to their problems if done properly.
“If we are mining and there are mistakes, it’s not about gun attacks, but the solution should be good policies to guidance on how to mine the right way.”
