Newmont clears air on Ahafo resettlement houses

Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) has denied reports by residents of Kenyase, a farming community in Asutifi North District of the Brong Ahafo region, that the company refused to build resettlement houses for farmers of Kantika-Dormaa whose houses were affected during the construction of the Subika East Rock Waste Dump Extension project of Newmont Ahafo mine at Kenyase.

Residents of Kenyase Number One and Two of where the Kantika-Dormaa area lies have recently accused the Ahafo Mine of Newmont of refusing to build resettlement houses for some farmers in their project area (Kantika-Dormaa) with the excuse that the owners of the farm houses in the affected areas have relatively resettled in the past so they do not qualify for resettlement houses.

But in a quick rebuttal, the company described the allegation by the residents as “baseless and fallacy” stressing that the resettlement houses project for the affected residents in Subika East Rock Waste Dump Extension project is on-going and assured the residents that the houses would be completed soon.

However, in a fact-finding mission to Kenyase recently, Today observed that building construction works were seriously on-going at the site of resettlement houses at Kenyase Number Two for the people of Katinka-Dormaa.

And Today can report that majority of the resettlement houses had been roofed while some had reached lintel levels with the rest on the footing level.

Speaking to Today around the site of the project, Land Management Coordinator of Ahafo Mine of NGGL, Mr. Anthony Adusei Kwarteng, further re-affirmed that most of the new resettlement buildings for the beneficiaries were on the verge of completion.

And Mr. Kwartey stressed that the houses will be ready latest by August this year.