A group calling itself Movement Team of Obuasi whose membership comprises a cross section of the youth in mining in the Obuasi enclave has debunked claims that the Akatakyieso Mining site belongs to one Kwasi Macho.
It has appealed to the government through the National Security apparatus to prevail on the chiefs to ensure that mining at the site is regularized and made operational to engage all Adansi youth in responsible mining.
The group, led by Mr Shaban Bawa, in his capacity as a spokesman, claimed without providing any proof that Kwasi Macho only used his influence in the previous administration to take over the site, which they established as far as 2014.
Mr. Bawa said the group initiated prospecting in the year 2014 and started mining in 2018 only for Akwasi Macho to take over the operation of a small scale mining and turned into a community mining as a result of his links with the previous government.
According to him, after several meetings with the MMDCES at Obuasi, Obuasi East, Adansi North, Akrofuom District and Amansie Central, the youth in Adansi were engaged in mining until Akwasi Macho, backed by the previous administration, forcefully assumed the leadership of the group.He said now that there is a change of government, the Movement Team has reclaimed the site “for good.”
Mr. Shaban Bawa disclosed that 14 of their members were arrested last Wednesday in a swoop by the police.
“The arrests notwithstanding”, Shaban Bawa said ” the group does not want to be confrontational and urged all youth in mining to cooperate with the leadership and Chiefs to ensure that peace prevails as they go about creating employment to enable them eke out a decent livelihood.
He appealed to the government to swiftly intervene to avert imminent bloodshed among claimants of the Akatakyieso artisanal mining site.
Mr Shaban Bawa also called for government intervention to ensure that sanity prevails while it engages the AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine to provide alternative arrangements as a source of employment and livelihood.
From Frederick Danso Abeam, Obuasi
