Community leaders and residents of Akango, Salman and Nkroful in the Western Region have lauded the government for revoking the mining leases of Adamus Resources Limited.
For weeks, the communities had agitated against what they described as unlawful operations by the company, staging a demonstration to register their displeasure.
The action by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources comes weeks after residents raised concerns about the alleged ceding of some concessions to Chinese nationals for illegal mining activities.
This accusation was confirmed by a Minerals Commission report, which influenced the decision to revoke the mining leases of Adamus Resources Limited.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources stated that “foreign nationals (Chinese) were unlawfully engaged in mining activities (‘galamsey’) on the affected concessions in contravention of Section 99(5)(a) and (b) of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).”
The communities also accused the company of exceeding its concession boundaries.
Investigations by the Minerals Commission further confirmed that “mining operations observed were substandard and were conducted outside designated mining areas and far from approved mine infrastructure.”
Community Reaction
The three communities have since expressed excitement following the revocation of Adamus Resources Limited’s mining leases.
They say the move will help in the fight against illegal mining, which continues to pose environmental and health risks to residents.
The Assembly Member for the Salman Electoral Area, Yacoub Abdul Aziz, urged government to consider the economic needs of the youth in deciding the future of the concession.
“We think the local people should be prioritised in everything that is done here. A lot of the young people are struggling to survive, and we have such a resource here,” he said.
The communities further believe that the development of local infrastructure should be strongly considered in any future arrangements involving the concession.
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