Aggrieved farmers demand adequate compensation from Newmont

The Concerned Farmers Association, a minority group whose properties have been affected by operations of the Newmont Ahafo North project has asked the company to do things right and pay them the compensation they deserve.

According to the group, made up of 84 members, whose properties are spread within the mine’s concessional area in the Tano North Municipality, "the company’s unlawful entry and destruction of their farms and properties is affront” to the nation’s minerals and mining act.

The Newmont Ahafo North is projected to mine between 270,000 and 325,000 ounces of gold annually, and the Ahafo North project concessional area that covers about 10,000 acres of land spread across five major communities in the Tano North Municipality of the region.

Major construction works at the mine’s plant site at Afrisipakrom are expected to be completed next year, for the mine, projected with a lifespan of 13 years, to begin actual operations, hopefully mid-2025.

But, the group comprising 84 farmers and other property owners in the mine’s five catchment communities, including Techire, Adrobaa, Afrisipakrom, Susuanso, and Yamfo worry that operations of the mine in the area had further been characterised by alleged human rights violations and abuses.

Addressing a news conference held at Techire, one of the mining communities, the aggrieved farmers said they were unhappy “Newmont has failed to conduct a land assessment and survey of the members and entered their lands destroying their farms and properties”.

“There are incidents where the company’s exploration team inadvertently impacted farms that had not yet been compensated for. We however want to draw the public’s attention that this wasn’t accidental, as projected by the company, but the usual unlawful mode of its operation”, John Mensah, the Chairman of the Association stated.

“The company has unlawfully entered the farms and destroyed the properties of about eight of our members without their consent. Some of the properties include a teak plantation, cocoa farms, palm trees, and food crops belonging to John Mensah, Beatrice Mensah, Yaw Paul Asare, Abraham Amo, Silas Adjei Mensah, Gabriel Kofi Nelson, Abubakar Sadick and Emmanuel Kwame Marfo”, he said.

Flanked by other executives of the association, John Mensah said “Newmont has admitted to the destruction of the uncompensated lands and properties but the company had failed to compensate the affected farmers and land owners".

“Even though Newmont is aware these farms are the primary source of livelihood and survival of these farmers, it has been callous to the needs and interest of the land owners and farmers and destroyed them".

"These farms are the main source of income for these farmers, families, and dependants and the loss of these lands has left them impoverished”

“When we tried to exercise our constitutional right to protect our farms from the destruction, the company in collaboration with Tano North Municipal Police arrested and detained four of our members”.

“The four persons arrested and detained on September 6, 2023, still did not know the offense or reasons behind their arrest and detention, and when they were discharged on police inquiry bail, one of them had his 16-acre teak farm which he sought to protect cleared by the company”.

“Newmont has no right to enter into the lands to undertake any of its mining activities as enshrined in Section 13(9) of the Minerals and Mining Act 2006, Act 703”, he lamented.

Section 13 (9) states “Subject to sections 73 and 74 (Compensation for disturbance of owner’s Surface rights), a mineral right granted by the Minister under this section is sufficient Authority for the holder over the land and

entitles the holder to enter the land in respect of which the right is granted”,

“Members of our Association are responsible and law-abiding people who have made substantial investments on our farms over the years, as such, we will always employ all lawful and legitimate means to protect our investment from any wanton destruction while demanding respect for our rights and under the laws of Ghana notwithstanding the intimidation, harassment and bullying from Newmont and its agents”, the chairman of the association added.

When contacted, Samuel Osei, the External Relations Manager of the Newmont Ahafo North project and Newmont Ahafo South Mine told the media the company would react to the story later.

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