Angry Asato youth obstruct iron ore prospecting in the area

Approximately 100 angry youths from Asato, a farming community in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region, have obstructed a mining company with heavy equipment from prospecting for the viability of iron ore in the Asato block.

The African Exploration Minerals Group is prospecting for the mineral in the enclave after the Ghana Geological Survey's feasibility study discovered commercial quantities of iron ore deposits in the enclave.

The youth, who wore red bands and chanted war songs, claimed they were not informed about the prospecting of iron ore in the Asato enclave and expected the company to have engaged them properly before any exploration could be occasioned.

Mr. Boakye Danquah Budu, the Assemblyman of the Asato Electoral Area, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that "the youth became incensed after realizing that some heavy-duty mining machines had been sneaked into the forest zone of Asato for the purposes of mining without community animation."

He said this singular act infuriated the youth, who stated that the events leading to the entry of the equipment were shrouded in secrecy and therefore needed to stop the exploration.

"Nobody in Asato is an animal, so we need broader consultation on the prospecting of iron ore in the Asato enclave," he added, to know the stakes.

Osabarima Osei Bonsu V, Paramount Chief of the Asato Traditional Area, when contacted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the claim of the youth concerning the exploration and prospecting in the area "was not true" since there was community engagement in 2023.

He said the company is embarking on prospecting to ascertain the viability of the iron ore before actual exploration starts in two years' time.

The Paramount Chief said there would be a meeting on Thursday, July 11, 2024, to thrash out the issue.

The Kadjebi District Police Commander, Superintendent of Police Mr. Frank Nana Asomaning, led a police and military detachment to the area to sanitize the situation and restore calm.

A geological survey feasibility study has led to the discovery of 55.22 percent weight and a higher grade of iron ore, with the possibility of prospecting in five communities: Asato, Wawaso, Gyamonome, Kosamba, and Ketepii communities in the Kadjebi District.