In a recent incident at the AC Zenon Limited mining site in Asuom, located in the Kwaebibirim Municipality of the Eastern Region, six armed individuals attempted to disrupt operations and intimidate workers, media personnel, and officers of the Minerals Commission. The group, led by a self-proclaimed incoming Asafo leader brandishing machetes, arrived at the site on tricycles and motorbikes with the intention of causing chaos during a scheduled press engagement.
Fortunately, the company's security team was prepared and swiftly disarmed the intruders upon their arrival, preventing any harm or disruption to the planned activities. Hajia Amina Tahiru, the Chief Executive of AC Zenon Limited, took the opportunity to address the situation and urged the youth involved not to allow themselves to be manipulated for the selfish interests of individuals.
Furthermore, she called upon the government to provide support and protection to licensed and responsible mining operations, emphasizing the need to combat illegal mining activities and land encroachment. Hajia Tahiru vehemently denied allegations of illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey, and provided evidence to support the legitimacy of the company's mining lease, which was issued in 2022 and confirmed by officers from the Minerals Commission in Koforidua.
It was revealed that the motivation behind the attempted disruption stemmed from personal grievances of the Asuom Kontihene, who was reportedly dissatisfied with the company's refusal to comply with his individual demands that contradicted a previously agreed upon community agreement.
This incident serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by legitimate mining operations and the importance of upholding the rule of law to ensure a conducive environment for responsible mining activities in Ghana.
-source citinewsroom | curated by Tetteh Belinda | GhanaCrimes
