We'll not pay compensation to ‘Nyame Beye’ community – Newmont

Newmont Ghana says it will not pay any compensation to a group of farmers, community miners and unemployed locals calling itself, Affected Property Owners of Nyame Beye Beposo, near the Ahafo mines area.

According to the mining giant, its operations has not affected the people in the Nyame Beye area.

The leaders of the group had said that the refusal of the company to resettle and compensate the affected farmers, allocate site for community mining and employment to the locals will trigger demonstration against Newmont on March 17, 2020.

“Newmont Goldcorp illegally decided not to resettle/compensate property owners at Nyame Beye Beposo at Ola Resettlement after declaration of Moratorium and having completed Rapid Assets Survey and Full Assets Survey”, it noted

But Agbeko Azumah, Communications and External Affairs Manager of Newmont Ahafo Mines told Class News on Thursday, 5 March 2020 that “Our position is that the mines operational project or the mines operations have not impacted on the proposed resettlement project site. In fact what is happening is that there is a tailing storage facility expansion project that we are going to embark on, and we identified certain land areas that we are going to pursue the option of resettling affected farmers or residents in that area, not Nyame Beye”.

“What we are saying is that because our operations have not impacted that proposed resettlement site we will not be required to pay for any compensation for structures including that of speculators in that area. Now this position has been clearly and duly communicated to the aggrieved property owners, the DEC, the regional minister and other stakeholders and so that has been the position”, he added.

Mr Azumah, however, added that “We cannot close the door on engagement, what we’ve always committed to do is good fate dialogue and that applies to both parties, and I think we’ve gone through this several times; we are still committed to that. Our doors are opened for dialogue, but the position is quiet clear; once your operations have not impacted on an area or a person, it will be out of place that you are going to compensate something you have not impacted."

On the concerns by the group that Newmont has not employed people from the area, Mr. Azumah said his office has employed more than 40% of people in its host community.

“What we have done over the years is that we have a local employment agreement with our host community and that enjoins us to give employment opportunities to our local community citizens. Today, about 40% of our national workforce are people who come from our host community.

“In fact we actually have discussions with stakeholders of our host community through the social responsibility foundation where we all agreed that our development foundation will have a new direction towards job creation; so we're working together with all the stakeholders in the local community”, he explained.