5 communities fight Newmont Ahafo mines over a research

Five communities in the Ahafo catchment area of Newmont Gold Ghana Limited in the Brong Ahafo Region have rubbished a research conducted on water quality in the area and calling for the sanction of the two doctors who conducted the research.

The five communities who have rejected the research conducted by Newmont Ahafo Mines and stated that water bodies in the area are good.The communities include Kenyasi Number 1, Kenyasi Number 2, Gyedu, Ntotroso and Wamahinso.

Addressing a press conference in Sunyani, the coalition of the affected communities debunk the research conducted by Dr. Kwaku Poku Asante of the Kintampo Health Research Centre and Dr. Michael Poku- Boansi of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

They noted that the research was conducted by Newmont to counter research works conducted by Dr. Frederick Armah of UCC and Mr. Samuel Obiri , a Senior Research Scientist of CSRI which points to the fact that water bodies in the catchment area of Newmont Ahafo Mines are polluted.

Chairman of the Coalition of five affected mining communities , Kennedy Adu Adjei noted that it took the vigilance of the people in the area and WACAM activists to expose the fact that Newmont Ahafo mine had spilled cyanide into rivers in the area.

He noted that the list of key informants submitted by Dr. Michael Poku-Boansi included the late Nana Adwoa Pokuaa , who was the Queen mother of Kenyasi Number Two and died on15th September ,2014 but was on the list Dr Poku-Boansi interviewed in 2017.

The five communities are therefore calling on the Ghana Medical and Dental Council to investigate the complaint against Dr Kwaku Poku Asante by the five communities.