And Metro TV Crew
10 people including an 80-year- old man yesterday sustained serious injuries when GoldFields Ghana Limited (Damang) ‘mobilised’ soldiers to brutalise innocent farmers embarking on a peaceful demonstration against the company. The demonstrators numbering about 200 from Atta ne Atta, a farming community affected by the operations of Goldfields Mine at Damang have been permitted by the Police to embark on a peaceful demonstration which was aimed at calling on the government to come to their rescue from the ‘merciless’ hands of the mining company which is the head sponsor of the senior national team the Black Stars. The military brutalities did not end with the demonstrators but also media personnel who had come there to cover the demonstration. The Metro TV crew led Patrick Arthur was not spared the military torment. The cameraman, Eric Osei is the one who suffered most from the ordeal as the military men struggled with him to retrieve his camera.
According to Mr. Frank Appiah who is the leader of the farmers, the military men were hired by officials of Goldfields to brutalise them to stop the peaceful demonstration and in so doing got 10 of the demonstrators seriously injured. The injured were taken to the Tarkwa Government Hospital.
Speaking to the Enquirer in an interview, Mr. Appiah noted that ever since GoldFields started mining in the area, members of the community have been suffering from severe inhuman treatment from the company.
He described Goldfields as selfish and irresponsible as the company is only interested in making huge money from its mining activities which have led to the pollution of the source of drinking water of members of the community. Apart from the pollution, the intensity of the blasting of the rocks has resulted to the weakening of the buildings of the community. Further, among other harmful effects of the activities of the mining company, Goldfields have rendered the community extremely dusty thus injurious to human health. He said that before the company commenced active mining operations last year in the area, the community leaders had appealed to GoldFields to relocate the community to another place as the mining activity would render the place inhabitable.
He added that the officials of GoldFields threw their appeal to the dogs and started operations last year. He continued that they did not relent in their efforts and as such sent petitions to the Member of Parliament for the area, Kwasi Blay, The District Chief Executive of Prestea Huni Valley, the Environment Protection Agency as well as relevant state agencies.
He noted that the petitions have yielded no result because at all occasions that GoldFields is invited for a meeting over other issue, the company treat it with contempt and fail to show up.
He said it is in view of this attitude by the mining company that they decided to embark on a peaceful demonstration but unfortunately this was quelled by the GoldFields-Sponsored Military brutality which resulted in terrible injuries to some of the demonstrators and the Metro TV Crew.
Attempts by the Enquirer to speak to the Corporate Affairs Manager of GoldFields, Dr. Tony Aubyn failed to materialize as he sent this reporter a text message claiming that he was in a meeting and so he should call later. More than two hours later, the Enquirer called Dr. Aubyn several times but these went unanswered.
Meanwhile information reaching the Enquirer at press time has it that Mr. Robert Siaw, the Local Affaires Manger of GoldFields(Damang) who Mr. Appiah noted as the main architect behind the military brutality is shamelessly begging his ‘tortured victims’ not to go to the press over their ordeal but allow sleeping dogs to lie.
