They have sworn tooth and blood to meet “boot to boot” , the mining company, government officials and even the military task force stationed in the area, if their demand for part of the Perseus concession is not ceded to them. “We mean business with all seriously and we are ready to make Ayanfuri ungovernable if our demands are not met”.
At a press conference at Ayanfuri today, the illegal miners laid their claim to that part of the concession called “Heap Leach”, saying ”we have been operating here on that portion of the land for some time so it automatically belongs to us”. They were not, however, able to produce documents to back the claim.
Led by Hon Godfred Kwakye, an assemblyman in the area, the illegal miners warned that “if the government and other stakeholders in the Central Region and the Upper Denykyira West District do not attend to their call the youth may be forced to face the mining company and the military boot to boot, which may end up in blood shed”
Mostly from Obuasi and Tarkwa areas, the illegal miners are always armed with cutlasses, crowbars and other crude implements of war, and they unleash terror not only to t the poor people in the Ayanfuri communities but Perseus workers as well as contractor, working on the mine.
The unfortunate aspect of the activities of these illegal miners is that they are allegedly supported by politicians, who are in dare need of money for reelection.
Source: Jack Adom, Ayanfuri
