Residents of Manso Nyakomase in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region are resisting what they describe as an unauthorized land reclamation exercise on mined sites without their consent.
The concerned residents, made up of miners, youth, and opinion leaders, say they are ready to reclaim their own land once mining activities are completed, and will not tolerate any external interference in the name of reclamation.
The community, known for its long-standing engagement in small-scale mining, held a press conference to voice their displeasure.
They called on the District Chief Executive for Amansie South, Benjamin Marfo, and the government to intervene before the situation escalates into conflict.
A community spokesperson, Dominic Sarkodie, emphasized that the land they are working on is not part of any government-acquired concession, forest reserve, or river body, but land owned by families and individuals within the Manso Nyakomase community.
He explained that small-scale mining remains the main source of livelihood for the people and that any attempt to reclaim the land without consulting them amounts to a direct attack on their economic survival.
“We are not working in any forest or on any river body, this is our own land — our inheritance. We are responsible miners, and we have every plan to reclaim our land when our work is done. No one has the right to move machines here without consulting us,” Mr. Sarkodie stated.
Source: Joseph Obeng