President Jerry John Rawlings ever stated that, when a boy beats his mother, it is not as bad as when the father hears and does nothing about it. In similar call, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo also advised us to talk and act as citizens rather than just being spectators.
Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen, these statements are the attributes of freedom in democracy based on which we the concerned citizens of Talensi wish to express our resentment for the wicked and illegal mining operation of the Chinese Shaanxi Mining Ghana LTD in our land. We call for their EXPULSION FROM THE TALENSI DISTRICT with immediate effect.
The Company has since 2010, been mining in the area but claimed to be providing Mining Support Services to two Small Scale Mining Groups (Pubuotaba Mining Group and Yenyeya Mining Group).
The company has since hidden and ridden at the back of these Small Scale Mining Groups to carryout mining operations equivalent to large scale mining and this leads to unhealthy issues as disused below;
1. Illegality: We do not trust the validity of their documentation and registration as a mining support services provider to Small Scale Mining Groups. In June, 2012, we requested a legal search on Shaanxi Mining Operations in Talensi but the Mineral Commission rather produced a Cadastral Map with explanation that, Shaanxi Mining Ghana LTD had not registered to operate at Talensi in any capacity. However, in 2013, this company claimed to have a certificate of registration dated 2010 at a meeting in the office of the Upper East Regional Minister. There is clear indication that some officers of the Minerals Commission were either over protecting or collaborating with Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd in wrong doing at Talensi.
It is also surprising that, even though, the Minerals and Mining (Support Services) Regulations, 2012, LI 2174, seeks to preserve Mining Support Services to only to Ghanaian local companies, Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd had been allowed and shielded to operate.
There is also an unsettled dispute at the High Court in Bolga, bordering on the membership of Yenyeha Mining Group together with Bantama Group, Gold Coast, and Banyeka Group as well as Yeyeha Enterprise.
Yenyeya Mining Group had not been permitted to operate due to litigation on membership and ownership. Yenyeya Enterprise has not also been licensed to mine. It is therefore clear that, Shaanxi Ghana Ltd is not and cannot render services to any mining group on the disputed land. Granted their claims are true, can Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd produce receipts of payments made to them by the Small Scale Mining Groups for their services rendered? No, because the Small Scale Miners neither know nor own the quantum of gold produced.
Apart from these illegalities, Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd is mining unauthorized areas and trespassing far beyond acceptable levels. Every Small Scale Mining License holder is in conflict with them. This leads to the killing.
2. Fellow Citizens, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, since 2013, many young men including Cephas Bazimwomit, Nambok and Issah, among others had been killed through deliberate blast poisoning. These wicked mining practices were meant for deterrence of Bantama Group, Gold Coast Group, and Manyeka Groups from competing for the same rocks containing the gold ore. The toxic substance from blasting, when inhaled, deteriorates the respiratory system resulting in severe coughing and vomiting of blood hence victims dying within two days.
It is worrying to observe that, there are houses and schools very close to the mining site. The blasting destroyed all good drinking water including the very single borehole they constructed. They destroyed the 1 Unit 3 Classroom block built by the District Assembly and have since done nothing better to improve the situation. The 3 Classroom Unit they have built is woefully unacceptable.
3. Bad Mining Practices: Apart from the wickedness, Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd Practices bad mining against the standard regulation. They blast unannounced, they use bad method of stoping i.e. blasting without filling the stopes, and surface blasting could cause cave-in disaster, destroying life and property.
Surely, some staff such as John, Baba, Joe, among others have lost their lives and many injured due to improper safety measures.
4. Maltreatment of many Ghanaians employees: Ladies and Gentlemen, out of about 502 Ghanaian Employees, about 450 employees are paid salaries and wages below Two Hundred and Fifty Ghana Cedis (GH¢250.00) per month for working 8 hours per day. Due to poor safety measures, many are dead by accidents, while others injured uncompensated and made to foot their own medical bills.
Some workers suffer dismissals without any laid down administrative procedure, while all are not provided Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). The company also has not paid any SSNIT contribution of employees since 2012. However, the over 150 Chinese counterparts in the Company are paid in foreign currency.
5. Irresponsibility: Fellow Ghanaians, informal checks at Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) indicate that, Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd has never paid taxes for Mining in Talensi. This is as a result of their pretence to be rendering Mining Support Services.
For this reason, they have denied the landowners, traditional Authorities and District Assembly of royalties. W e cannot understand why Ghana Police Service would be protecting such a company since 2010 with Police stationed at Mining Site (Kolsabilik) near Gbani and yet they seem not complying with tax laws of Ghana. Their failure to organize stakeholder consultations made them commit many mistakes leading to conflicts, rivalries and misunderstandings among peace loving communities, Chiefs, Landowners and Small Scale Miners. The Company has taken advantage of the unhealthy situation to deny land owners their land compensation, Community Social Responsibilities and resettlement. They have refused to construct a bridge they destroyed, they have refused re-constructing a borehole they destroyed and have denied us KVIP among others. They have no benefits to the communities.
6. Warning: Ladies and Gentlemen, we wish to advise Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd to comply with the directive of SUSPENSION OF MINING OPERATION given by our Hon. Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in a letter, dated 24th April, 2017 for recently killing seven young men.
We want to assure Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd that, their usual craft statement “Ghana Big Boss, big envelope, finish” would never work this time. Their cup is full because, they have done enough to incur our displeasure. We would therefore never ever allow any other destruction of lives and property in the area.
We also humbly appeal to the Ghana Police Service to compel the Company to comply with the SUSPENSION until they are finally expelled or else, we would advise ourselves.
It is also important to call on all Chiefs in Talensi land to co-operate with us in unity against the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd.
Talensis shall be grateful to the government for;
i) Getting Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd to pay for all compensations, settlement, social responsibilities, taxes or royalties.
ii) Revoking every license or certificate with regards to their interest in Talensi District.
iii) Expelling them completely from Talensi District.
Source:Kenneth Singah
GOOD BLESS TALENSIS
GOD BLESS GHANA!!
1. CHARLES BOAZOR (CONVENER)
0246 911 760
2. BISMARK ZUMA (EXECUTIVE SECRETARY)
0208 369 833
3. ZINEKENA SOLOMON T.T.B
0246 180 297
4. ROBERT BOAZOR (MEMBER)
0201 390 748
5. MWAMBIL CLEMENT (MEMBER)
0208 081 280
6. ALI BABA (MEMBER)
0200 306 176
7. JOE DANKA (MEMBER)
0249 009 187
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