…Diverts Entire Stream Into Farmland
Investigations conducted by the New Crusading Guide reveals that a huge track of land belonging to Opanin Kwaku Manu a farmer at Beposo, near Heman in the Wassa Akropong district in the Western region has been invaded by a large number of powerful illegal Chinese miners.
The illegal mining Operations, according to opanin?Manu was ?being led by a Ghanaian named Eric Coffie Riverson, also known as ?Eric Abro? who is described as an Influential member of the ruling National Democratic Congress, immediate past Chairman of the small scale miners association in the western region and the owner of Riverson Fm 90.1 at Wassa Akropong.
When team of reporters from the New Crusading Guide visited the mine site, it was realized that a stream that serves as a boundary between Opanin Manu and his neighbor Thomas, has been diverted into the farm of Opaning Manu causing the farmer to lose about four acres of land to his neighbor.
Speaking to the investigations team at his Residence, Opanin Kwaku Manu, a renowned hard working farmer said eight months ago he was at home when Eric came to him to release a portion of his farmland to him to mine gold. ?I refused to grant his request with the protest that I am using them for agricultural purposes. I was subsequently summoned before the palace of the chief of Heman.
Based on the pressure mounted on me by the chief of Heman through Eric I had to give in to avoid the wrath of the chief. Eight months after digging the lands with the Chinese miners and diverting the stream , they have left the pits dangerously opened?. ?They have extracted all the gold in the land destroyed my farm and left the various pits dangerously opened. I have made several attempts to push them to re-divert the cause of the stream to its former place but this has yielded no result? As I speak to you the miners have moved to another concession close to my farmland and are mining there. I am appealing to the President, John
Mahama to intervene and ensure that the Chinese operators are flushed out and the persons responsible for destroying my land are held responsible. Government officials should not wait till people fall in the pits before they intervene. We must re divert the stream because the current nature of the river can flood and submerge an entire village when there is heavy rainfall. I think the task force must be brought back to flush out these illegal gold miners.? He stated.
Our investigations revealed that Eric Coffie Rivers is a small scale miner. He has a concession of about 200 acres at Afransie, Jukwa and Wassa Akropong. He has a number of small scale mining companies but the one he registered to work on Opaning Kwaku Manu?s land is called Pioneer small scale mining . Mr Rivers owns the Rivers Royal Hotel and the FM.90.1 megehez, both at Wassa Akropong. He is an influential member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) but he doesn?t hold any position in the party. He was once the General secretary of the Ghana National Association of small scale miners and currently, president of the Artisanal mining Africa Network, an international NGO.
FINDINGS,
Although Mr Riverson claims to have license to mine, he is alleged to have collaborated with the Chinese to mine on Opaning Manu?s land which is contrary to the country?s laws. However the Chinese were flushed out during the operations of the presidential Taskforce on Mining.
Kwame Appiah who was the head of the laborers who mined on the land confirmed that they did not reclaim the land after they were expelled by the task force. Abusua Paning Atta Adjei of Heman Royal Stool also corroborated the claim. however a running water which separated Opaning Manu?s Land from that of his neighbor was diverted into opaning Manu?s land during the mining activities, the diversion has made opaning Manu Lose about four acres of land to his neighbor.
When confronted further in an interview, Mr Riverson promised to ensure that the running water is re-diverted to its original position but demanded that the two parties make themselves available during the diversion in order to avert any future boundary dispute. He promised to do the re-diversion within a week if the parties are available. It?s been two weeks since the crusading Guide met face to face with Mr Riverson but no effort has been made to cover the pits and the re- diversion of the river.
Dr Gad Akwenswe, an official of the Administrator of stool lands, in an interview with the New Crusading Guide in relations to Galamsey mining in Ghana said it is unfortunate that people continue to engage in Galamsey operations. According to him, Galamsey operators are small scale miners operating without mining license and noted that such a practice is illegal and should be avoided.
the farm land is totally destroyed?excavators discovered on the land
Source:?Kwabena Adu Koranteng and Malvin James Dadzie, New Crusading Guide
