Newmont ‘Jails’ Fish Farmer

Unrepentant Newmont Gold Ghana Limited, after being slapped with a 70-billion-cedi compensation payment for negligently spilling cyanide, has committed another wicked act by facilitating the detention of an innocent fish farmer at Yayaso, a town in the Eastern Region, where the company’s Akyem Project headquarters is located.

The farmer, Kwabena Ofei, was on his way to a fishpond when he was stopped by the company’s security task force, who claimed that where the pond is situated has been declared a mining area and for that reason he cannot develop or upgrade the pond.

This explanation was unacceptable to Mr. Ofei, who had been contracted by the owner of the pond to develop it.

Consequently, an altercation ensued between the fish farmer and the Newmont Task Force, leading to the detention of Mr. Ofei on Sunday, February 7, this year. He was only released the following day after vehement protest from the youth of the Yayaso community.

The task force comprises a police officer, Newmont Security staff and some residents of the communities affected by mining project in the Ajenua Bepo Forest in the Eastern Region.

When The Enquirer reached the Regional Communications Manager of Newmont, Adiki O. Ayitevie, on the issue, she confirmed the detention of the fish farmer, saying the man was not ready to comply with an order not to upgrade the fishpond Further, she noted that as far as Newmont is the Mining Lease Holder it reserves the right to prevent the upgrade of crops and the erection of buildings or structures. Meanwhile, Newmont has not paid a pesewa to farmers or landowners as far compensation is concerned, but yet the company is preventing them from upgrading their crops or developing their land. (More on this coming up)

In fact, when The Enquirer visited some of the communities affected by the company’s Akyem Project, Newmont has erected notices which read: “Mining Area Boundary : Community Members, Farmers, Landowners, Tenants and the General Public are respectfully notified that no building or structure shall be erected and no crop shall be upgraded to a higher value crop within the mining area without the written consent of the mining lease holder (Newmont Golden Ridge Ltd).”

The detention incident seems to have given credence to a call by civil society groups, including WACAM, that the 70-billion-cedi punitive compensation payment meted out to the mining firm for spilling cyanide is not deterrent enough. Wacam, for instance, urged government to revoke the company’s Akyem Project mining lease.

About four years ago, the company deliberately discharged faecal matter (toilet) into rivers, which serve as the source of drinking water for the community people in the company’s mining project area in the Brong Ahafo Region.