The Environmental Sustainability Taskforce instituted by the dissolved Inter Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) last Monday strayed into the Ashanti Region to confiscate 10 excavators in what has been termed as an unauthorised operation.
The taskforce, which has been confined to operate in the Western Region, invaded the concession of the Kingsperp Mining Limited where it seized the excavators that included CAT 349EL, CAT 345DL, CAT 336DL, CAT 330DL, SANY 365, SANY 335, SANY 335, LIUGONG 936, LIUGONG 936 and LIUGONG 936.
The suspected operation, which came shortly after President Akufo-Addo’s dissolution of the Inter Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), was led by one Twum Ampofo Agyekum.
The President at the presentation of his message on the State of the Nation in Parliament recently, said one subject which he believed Ghanaians needed to have an open conversation on was illegal mining.
“We have to talk about galamsey (illegal mining). We, who are leaders, owe it to the country to take the subject out of the party-political arena, and have an honest conversation about this menace to our future,” he stated.
While the conversation is yet to begin, the taskforce had gone behind it and seized excavators belonging to the Kingsperp Mining Limited as well as four pieces of pump action guns, 30 grams of gold, GH¢3,800, a mobile phone, an ID card, two pieces of satellite phones, a Motorola radio and 10 pieces of headlights from its workers on site.
Other items confiscated by the taskforce were 15,000 liters of diesel, two Toyota Hilux pickups and a Land Cruiser trooper.
The seized excavators were taken to the premises of Ghana Heavy Equipment Limited (GHEL) in Kumasi and the owners are expected to pay a fine of GH¢200,000 to be able to get back their excavators.
The Kingsperp Mining Limited signed a mining lease agreement with the Government of Ghana on April 30, 2020, and was duly granted a mining right by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to operate on its current concession. The gold mining rights will expire on April 29, 2030.
The company has since paid mining fees including US$84,400 as annual Mineral right quoted by the Minerals Commission for the 28.35 square kilometres of 135 blocks concession in the Aboaboso area in the Oda River Forest Reserve in the Amansie West and Amansie Central Districts of Ashanti Region.
An officer of Kingsperp Mining Company also said the company on February 14, 2020 was issued with a permit by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prospect for gold, which permit would expire on February 13, 2022.
As a result, the Forestry Commission (FC) has since May 19, 2020 notified the Regional Manager and District Manager of the Forest Services Division of the FC in Kumasi and Bekwai respectively about the gold mining rights of Messrs Kingsperp Mining Limited in the Oda Forest Reserve for a period of ten years.
By Ernest Kofi Adu