“No galamsey, no votes” - Illegal miners chant in protest

Europa

October 19, 2016 2:40 PM

The Minerals Commission has handed them a quit order for them to stop gold mining in the main operating area within the concession of Anglogold Ashanti (AGA), but the illegal miners have refused to move.

Some of the illegal miners took the streets on Wednesday

Some irate illegal miners in Obuasi on Wednesday morning took to the streets to protest against government’s move to stop them from mining in their various mining centres.

The Minerals Commission has handed them a quit order for them to stop gold mining in the main operating area within the concession of Anglogold Ashanti (AGA).

But the demonstrators say they are not ready to move out of that area to a new place.

Many of them in their anger vandalised the offices of some political parties including that of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) amidst chants of “no galamsey, no votes”.

They subsequently moved to Tutuka in Obuasi where they vandalised the NDC office, then to NPP office near the Len Clay Stadium, Graphic Online reports.

The demonstrators are said to have destroyed windows, TV decoders, billboards, plastic chairs and other properties.

AGA has over the years had issues with the galamsey operators who are said to have been encroaching on the concession of the company.

The miners, per the quit order, were to vacate the concession immediately or be forced out.

Plans have been made in collaboration with the Movement Committee to relocate them.

But the illegal miners insist that the new areas offered them did not have enough gold deposits.

Europa