Farmers petition Minister on proposed gold mining

Farmers at Johnsonkrom and Donkorkrom in the Sunyani Municipality have petitioned the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister to intervene in the proposed surface gold mining in the two communities.

They said the project was a health hazard and was economically disadvantageous to the people.

The would-be affected farmers took the decision at an emergency meeting on Tuesday at Jonsonkrom to deliberate on a letter from Sunyani Municipal Assembly dated December 27, 2013 signed by Mr. Kwasi Oppong Ababio, the Municipal Chief Executive.

Headed “Notice of Publication Application”, the letter informed the chiefs of the two communities located on Dormaa Stool Lands that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources had given license to 40 companies for Mineral prospecting /Reconnaissance in these areas.

29 out of the companies are billed to operate at Johnsonkrom while 11 are for Donkorkrom.

“We vehemently reject and oppose any plans now and in the future to grant mining concessions to any company to engage in surface mining within our communities”, the resolution stated.

The resolution said the people “vehemently reject and oppose the proposal’’ because of the hardships that had been unleashed on many communities by the activities of surface miners.

It said surface mining had led to extreme poverty, disease, deaths, disintegration of communities, destruction of arable land, cash and food crops, contamination of water bodies and destruction of the eco-system.