Irate Youth of Asiakwa Protest Against KibiGoldfields

The advent of unemployment and economic hardship in the country has compelled some youth at Asiakwa in the East Akim Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region to engage in Small Scale Mining.

The youth has however been denied access to a plot of land by Kibi Goldfields Limited, a Ghanaian own mining company to achieve their objective.

The plot of land covering about 49.95km square has not been used for its purpose for the past thirty-three years. In spite of these, the Chiefs and People of Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council have called on Kibi Goldfields to release 4000 acres of its minerals concession to the youth to mine to enhance the development of Asiakwaman.

According to Abusuapanyin Baffour Kwame Asante of Asiakwa, the minerals law states that if a land has not been used for its mining purpose after 5 to 10 years, the custodians (Chiefs and People) of the land have the right to take over their property.

He said the land was leased to Kibi Goldfields and after some years, when there were no activities on the land, they (Kibi Gold) gave the land to another mining firm, Solar Mining Company without informing the Chiefs and people of Asiakwa.

He explained that the youth were clamped down and harassed by Solar Mining and the military anytime the youth stepped on the land to mine.

He said the Chiefs did not give any land to Solar mining to either work on adding that Kibi Goldfields has not exploited the land for its purpose for the past thirty-three years therefore Kibi Goldfields was no longer the owner of the concession but rather the people of Asiakwa.

Abusuapanyin Baffour Kwame Asante pointed out that unemployment rate in Asiakwa is alarming therefore demanded the release of 4000 acres of the mining land from Kibi Goldfields.

Some agitated youth who spoke to The Insight in protest pleaded with the Chiefs not to lease out or sell the mineral land to Kibi Goldfields or Solar Mining adding that they have not used the land for more than 33 years now.

In a related story, Kibi Goldfields has sued Rojokol Company Limited, Dr Michael Bugri, Executive Director of Youth in Mining Project Module (YIMPROMO) and the Retired Mining Workers Foundation (REMWOF) and Mr Roxle Owiredu who are the management and consultants of engaging the unemployed youth who are involved in mining on the disputed land.

The Youth in Mining Project Module was an initiative by the defendants to employ about 5,000 youths under the National Youth Employment Programme in Asiakwa.

In a writ of summons served on the defendants by the plaintiff (Kibi Goldfields), it is stated that Kibi Goldfields on or about 8th April 2010, was granted 5 years lease of mining rights by the government to the plaintiff.

The defendants have trespassed upon the plaintiff’s land and undertaken mining activities on a large area of its land.

The writ continued that the defendants will not stop their illegal mining on plaintiff’s land unless restrained,

The plaintiff pleads that the permit of the Environmental Protection Agency has been sought and obtained to undertake mining activities in the concession area.

According to the General Secretary of YIMPROMO, Mr Paxi Jones Alorgbe, one of the defendants, the lease granted to Kibi Goldfields was a fraudulent one explaining that the Chiefs who are the custodians of the land did not append their signatures to the lease.

The Municipal Chief Executive and the Regional Minister did not sign either and afterwards the Minerals Commission will grant the lease to any mining company.

He added that YIMPROMO is to engage the youth in mining to enable them explore avenues for sustainable and positive development of small-scale mining in Ghana.

He said the Minerals Commission and government must give the land to the people of Asiakwa and the youth to engage in mining adding that YIMPROMO will employ about 5,000 unemployed youth in Asiakwa.

By: Emmanuel Tornyi, 024-991-5121