Gov?t Tasked To investigate liquidation Of Bonte Mines

Government has been charged to investigate the circumstances leading to the loss of some 400 jobs at the Bonte mines in the Ashanti region.

This follows the liquidation of the mining company in March this year.

The Canadian mining company operated in the area for close to 15 years but had to liquidate leaving behind a debt of 18 million dollars owed various institutions including some public entities.

These issues were raised at a press conference organised by the civil society and pressure group, the Third World Network Africa.

The advocacy group showed journalists a video footage of what is left of the degraded land stretching over some 18 kilometres.

In a later interview with JoyNews, the Coordinator of group, Dr Yao Graham questioned the circumstances under which the company abandoned its operations and called for a probe into the matter

The video footage also showed heaps of earth and small streams in the areas as a result of the mining activities.

Dr Graham blamed the recklessness of the miners on the failure of monitoring institutions such as the Ministry of Mines, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minerals Commission to make sure that Bonte Gold mines observed the laws binding mining activities in Ghana.