Elijah Adansi Bonah
WILD RUMOURS that Elijah Adansi Bonah, MCE for Obuasi, was engaging in illegal mining at Adaase in Obuasi, has been described as false.
Ohene Adu Aboagye, the CEO of LEAPAB, a One District, One Factory (1D1F) company at Adaase in Obuasi, insisted the MCE was innocent of any wrongdoing.
There were claims that Mr. Bonah had sanctioned for some illegal miners to mine on a land earmarked for LEAPAB’s oil palm plantations under the 1D1F policy.
But in a sharp rebuttal, Mr. Aboagye, in an interview with Obuasi-based Time FM, said the MCE had no hand in the illegal mining so the rumours were baseless.
He admitted that some unscrupulous people invaded part of the 1,000 acre land, given to his company at Adaase for oil plantations, but said the MCE was not involved.
“The MCE is not the one that gave authorization for the illegal miner to mine on our land, that is a fact as I have confirmed from AngloGold Ashanti (AGA),” he said.
According to him, some miners initially invaded their lands to dig for gold as part of government’s Community Mining Programme, which the MCE was then deeply involved.
“As the government’s representative in Obuasi, the MCE was then ensuring that the government’s Community Mining Programme could be rolled out in Obuasi then.
“The MCE called me at the time and explained that they were to use the land for government’s Community Mining for three months and reclaim the land afterwards,” he said.
Mr. Aboagye said when the AGA were contacted they said that particular land was not released for the government’s Community Mining Programme.
“Immediately the AGA made the clarification, the assembly, led by the MCE, then moved the small scale miners of the government’s Community Mining policy to another place,” he said, adding, “But after the MCE had moved the small scale miners away, another illegal miner sneaked into our lands again to mine for gold, which was destroying the lands.
“My company doesn’t have any evidence or course to believe that the MCE was involved in the illegal mining, so the rumours are false,” Mr. Aboagye stated.
The LEAPAB CEO disclosed that the AGA even sent that particular illegal miner to court, where the illegal miner was ordered to reclaim the lands immediately without delay.
He said some illegal miners were taking advantage of the government’s Community Mining policy to mine for gold and destroy the environment so authorities should sit up.
According to Mr. Aboagye, there were some gaping holes, created by illegal mining activities, which posed danger to people so they should be reclaimed now.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi