Dr Toni Aubynn - CEO of Minerals Commission
All informal miners have been successfully moved from the previously occupied areas of the AngloGold Ashanti Ghana’s (AGAG) concession, Dr Toni Aubynn, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Minerals Commission said on Wednesday.
“We are happy to announce that as at Friday Nov. 25, 2016, all informal miners have been successfully moved from the previously occupied areas of AGAG’s concession,” he said at press briefing on the status of the relocation exercise.
“Thus, currently there are no informal miners in the areas that were occupied by the miners early this year,” he added.
Dr Aubynn said the exercise was successful through the collaboration of the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC), which established and executed a roadmap to ensure that the relocation was carried out within a judicious frame devoid of incident.
He said at the end of the relocation about 3,350 informal miners have been relocated from the AGAG concession to the northern part of the ceded area comprising Abedwum, Adumanu and Jacobu’.
In addition, 750 informal miners were also moved to the southern part of the ceded area comprising Kotopreso, Tema Rigde, Amponyase and Akasu.
Dr Aubynn said the last group of 100 informal miners were removed from the Abompe area of the AGAG concession and are currently going through the plot allocation process within the ceded areas.
He said with the movement exercise over, AngloGold Ashanti would be sealing-off all the evacuated areas and permanently secure these areas to prevent future invasions whilst the military and police personnel continue to provide security.
He expressed optimism that government would work with AGAG to develop the over eight million ounces of gold in the belly of the Obuasi mines.
He urged prospective small-scale miners to endeavour to acquire legal mining permits to operate rather than resorting to mining on the concessions of large scale mines.
Dr Aubynn said such actions impact negatively on the image of the country and drives away prospective investors from the mining sector thereby impacting negatively on the economy.
