Adansiman progressive association, Obuasi residents to demonstrate against Anglogold Ashanti Obuasi mine

Adansiman Progressive Association (APA) is a registered Social Pressure Group based in Obuasi.

Its core vision is to work towards the Unity of the Adansi People so that with a common purpose, they could bring Development and Progress to all parts of Adansiman.

It serves as the mouth-piece of the Adansi People and aims at Protecting and Defending the Natural Resources endowed to Adansiman.

Promotion of activities that create employment to the People especially the Youth is one of their priorities.

The Adansiman Progressive Association (APA) has indicated their intention to lead the People of Obuasi to demonstrate against the AngloGold Ashanti (AGA)Obuasi Mine in Obuasi on Tuesday 1st March, 2022.

Their reasons are threefold: First, that AngloGold Ashanti must support the Association to plant trees to protect the Jimi River which flow into the Jimi Dam which AGA has built for their operations.

They explained that the Jimi River is now the only reliable source of water supply to Obuasi township and its adjoining communities.

However, the River is being destroyed by illegal activities such as mining, felling of trees. Burning, farming and others exposing the River to direct sunshine.

With the aim of protecting the River, the Association teamed up with the Police and Mineral Commission to embark on periodic patrols along the banks of the River.

They also wrote a request to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to grant them permission to plant trees along the banks of the River to protect it and restore the River to its original state.

The Hon. Minister granted their request and advised them to involve all Stakeholders including Governmental and non-Governmental agencies in the catchment area to assist Financially and Logistically.

The Association sent a request for Support to AGA where the Senior Sustainability Manager Mr. Emmanuel Baidoo indicated that he had already received an e-mail from his Managing Director about the Tree Planting Project.

Mr. Baidoo advised the Association to submit a Proposal on the Project to him for the necessary action. The Association complied and submitted the Proposal in July 2021. Since then the Executive of the Association has been making follow-ups but no response from AGA.

In the view of the Association, AGA does not care whether the Jimi River dries up or not. The Association has so far planted over 3000 seedlings provided by Bekwai Forestry. These Seedlings need to be nurtured and maintained.

The argument is that since it is the Jimi River which supply water to feed the Dam which AGA depend on for its operations, it is part of their Corporate and Social responsibility to support the protection of the Jimi River.

The second reason has to do with the Employment of Adansi People in the Company. Since the coming back of AGA, the Company has employed very few People from Adansi as compared with People from Outside. Jobs that could be done by Adansi People are given to Friends and Relatives of Big men at Accra and other towns.

There are a lot of skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled and Professional Adansi People who respond to job advertisements by the Company but they are not considered.

The disclosure is that, in 2013 and 2014 when the Company embarked on the Redundancy exercise, most of the workers who do not come from Adansi left Obuasi with their monies thereby rendering Obuasi’s Economy bad.

The demand is that more Adansi People be employed in the Company so that in times of crisis, many workers would not leave Obuasi to make the economy suffer.

The third reason is that, Adansiman is blessed with Gold. Gold is found everywhere.

Since 1892, AGC- AGA has captured and monopolized all the Gold sites in and around Obuasi leaving the People sitting on Gold poor and hungry.

There are a lot of Gold sites where AGA has abandoned or has not operated there before and do not intend operating there. However they claim these sites to be within their 40% Concession.

When the People go to these sites for their daily bread, AGA engages the Military and Police to arrest and brutalize them.

Some Communities in and around Obuasi have traditional Gold sites where the People operate. The Sansu Community has the Nsuakyi site, the Odumase Community has the Jabunsu site, the Abompe-Kokoteasua Communities have the Abompe and Kokoteasua sites and the Gauso-Koffekrom Communities also have the High Tamping site.

The time has come for the Adansi People to rise up in unity and tell AGA plain terms to officially release these ABANDONED SITES TO THE VARIOUS MUNICIPAL AND DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES FOR COMMUNITY MINING.

If AGA could officially release the Aketechieso site within their 40% concession to the Amansie People for Community Mining, they can do same for the peole of Adansi.

The Community Mining Concept was brought by the NPP Government. The District Assemblies sent People for training and issued Certificates to them.

So the Assemblies and Community leaders would regulate their activities. Jobs would be created; they would receive income and pay taxes. Crime would also go down and Peace would prevail.

In short, the Adansiman Progressive Association is urging Adansiman and Obuasi to unite and demand from AGA to Support the Protection of the Jimi River, Employ more Adansi People and Officially Release all Abandoned Gold Sites to the District Assemblies for Community Mining.