Talensi Assembly members hints of demonstrating against Earl International (Gold) GH Ltd over their adamant on road construction Earl International (Gold) GH Ltd.
Mining, Opinion

Talensi Assembly members hints of demonstrating against Earl International (Gold) GH Ltd over their adamant on road construction

Talensi Assembly members have hinted they will be hitting the street of Talensi District of the Upper East Region to demonstrate against Shaanxi Mining now rebranded to Earl International (Gold) GH Ltd. According to the Assembly members, their planned demonstration is scheduled to commence from Sheaga on Friday, April 28, 2023, to the Earl International (Gold) GH Ltd entrance gate. The Talensi Presiding member and the Assembly for Gari/Gbani electoral area John Millim, told Apexnewsgh.com that “there is this road that links from Tongo to the mining area and since they came, they have used the road and most of the culverts have broken down as a result of their heavy-duty machines. We resolved last year at the assembly and asked them to work on the road they agree to do it and later on, we send them reminders in a written form and they haven’t done what we asked them to do. So, we think demonstration is the only language they understand”. he stressed However, when Apexnewsgh.com contacted Earl International Public Relations Officer Ebenezer Bognaab, he confirmed the demand made by members of the Talensi District Assembly. He described the demand for the road construction as a ‘genuine concern’ raised by the Assembly members. “These are genuine concerns they are expressing”. Earl International PRO admits He told Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen during an interview that, the company has seen the construction of the road as part of their cooperate responsibility to the Talensi people. Insisting that the company Earl International is considering such a demand. “So, as a mining company as part of our cooperate responsibility for the fact that we also used the same road. When they wrote to us, we responded, they send a resolution and we responded to the resolution and they send a reminder. So, we have been engaging the district assembly over this issue, and is a genuine issue and management is currently considering it”. Responding to the aggrieve assembly members who were of the view that the company isn’t cooperating with them on their demand, the PRO said: “It is not true that we are not cooperating, we had a meeting with the DCE in his office, we had a discussion with him on this issue and we are always ready for engagement. You know, it has to do with roads and road construction is not as easy as you know. So, as a company, we have to organize ourselves because we have also some other plans too. So, as I said earlier, we are considering it. Very soon we will start work on the road”. He reacted Roads in Talensi are so deplorable to the extent, people easily questioned the contribution of a mining firm such as Shaanxi now Earl International since its operation in the Talensi district. The company has always been in the news for not performing its responsibility as a mining company that has migrated from small-scale mining and now operating as a large-scale mining company. Most citizens from the Talensi District living in both home and abroad have pointed hands on their leaders and more especially those in authority for their district’s underdeveloped predicaments. The Assembly members want the mining company to consider constructing the road from Tongo Hospital junction straight to Sheaga, Gbani, and across Datoko. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com

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UER: I have no right as an individual to take away anybody’s business or concession—Stephen Yakubu Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu
Mining

UER: I have no right as an individual to take away anybody’s business or concession—Stephen Yakubu

The Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu has refuted claims that he has given concessions or killed businesses belonging to some indigenous people operating at the Gbane mining site in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region to the Chinese mining company Earl International.  Apexnewsgh.com report The Regional Minister was responding to Ngamegbulam Stephen of Apexnewsgh.com in an exclusive engagement on Friday, January 27, 2023, following accusations coming from some aggrieve mining actors and stakeholders in the region. The Regional Minister said, he has no right as an individual to take anybody’s concession, “do I work with Mineral Commission? Am I the company [Earl International]? The problem is that, this company they are talking about [Earl International], they had a license and this license was signed by then Minister in 2019 and my understanding is that, it has been ratified by parliament and if you go deep into the matter, you would see that people were not even happy that they have given the concession to them”. “We have a ministry that deals with that. So, it is not the Regional Minister that give that concession to Earl International and it happened in 2019, 2019 was I here? I wasn’t here”. He asked He further insisted “It wasn’t me who signed the large-scale mining, I wasn’t even here when the large-scale mining was signed. I came in when the small-scale miners were really agitating because in unblocking and giving the small-scale miner’s concession to large-scale mining the documentation is there”. The Minister pointed out that, when he came into the region, the miners have started negotiating with the company and they were a lot of issues and agitations “But, the issue was that, how the company is going to compensate them and I even came to meet it when they were negotiating and they were having a lot of problems there and the people were agitating at a time that whatever the company was giving to them, they were not happy with it. They met in Akayet, they met in Alisa Hotel, they met a lot and they were trying to find a common ground in which the company will be able to sort them out”. “Is the same small-scale miners who came to complain to me, that they are negotiating and they are not seeing their way forward. This same Charles, ask him the number of times he came to my house in the morning here to beg me to try and help so that the company compensates them. Call him and ask him whether he has been here to tell me about this or not. I have documentation that Charles himself has told me to help them. He insisted “Charles and the company were in court, ask him whether in court there, they didn’t even say that the regional minister was helping to broker the peace deal with them? And because of that, they were actually all the time having to extend the time so that we will be able to look at it. So, if we have looked at it and he is not happy about whatever offer the company is professing, can’t he just say Minister, am not happy about this arrangement, I want to go back to the company to negotiate by my own self, will I stop him doing that? He asked More to come soon… For publication please kindly contact us on +233256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com

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“Is that the work of the RCC??”– Paul Danka questioned Reg. Minister Involvement between Shaanxi and Small Scale miners
Mining, Opinion

“Is that the work of the RCC??”– Paul Danka questioned Reg. Minister Involvement between Shaanxi and Small Scale miners

John Paul Danka, One of the astute communicators of the Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has questioned the involvement of Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu following the alleged One Million dollar equivalent he is said to have received to settle miners whose concessions were taken by a Mining Company initially known as Shaanxi and now Earl International. Apexnewsgh.com report According to Mr. Danka, “Another problem is the regional Minister, look at what is happening in my area. You have people who came to this republic in the name of supporting mining services called Shaanxi, fast-forward 2008 that law reviewed. Then, there is somebody holding a lease, a concession permit in that area, that Company changed itself to Earl and there is a lease given to them in the name of large-scale mining. How on earth can you give a lease upon a lease or concession upon a concession and you have that minister coming to that enclave. What is in that pot? He quizzed Mr. Danka questioned the Minister’s involvement on a local radio station Dreamzfm in the Bolgatanaga Municipality monitored by Apexnewsgh.com on Friday, October 7, 2022 “Your regional Minister took over, asking those who have issues and those who have gone to court to come out for out-of-court settlement. As we speak today, what has happened to that one? The alleged One million dollar ($1 million) equivalent that the Upper East Regional Minister is said to have received and see how he would be able to help those whose concessions have been taken, to help actually paid them off as we speak we have issues. Is that the work of the RCC?? “You have not seen anything yet, as for the time bomb in Talensi, is still hanging is just a matter of time because once we have realized that government is complicit, the youth of Talensi are not going to sit down, and allow the government because we cannot trust the NPP administration with regards to our natural resources, we cannot. Is like those who benefitted from the pot are okay, but the rest of the people who are there nobody cares about them”. “We know what galamsey has done for our people, is a matter of we making sure we let them follow the due process, let them know the parties that can help them. Most of the roofing and the good building you see hitherto were not there, most of those proceeds are from there. People have worked at galamsey in Talensi and helped their brothers and sisters go to school, and advance their education. So, if you come and you are taking that thing off and you don’t handle it well, is just a matter of time when it explodes, we will then see how the national security issue will be handled”. He laments Source: Apexnewsgh.com|Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com

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Talensi: Ghana Mines workers Union with Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited to kick start talks ahead of 2023 salaries
Mining

Talensi: Ghana Mines workers Union with Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited to kick start talks ahead of 2023 salaries

Ghana Mines workers Union with the Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited a large-scale mining entity operating in the Talensi district of the Upper East Region will be meeting to discuss issues regarding their 2023 salaries and some other working conditions on Thursday, September 22, 2022. Apexnewsgh.com report The branch Union Secretary of Ghana mine workers in the area Solomon Yintota made the revelation during his engagement with Apexnewsgh.com on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, following an alleged accusation of workers of the company have not been treated well by their employer Earl International. Earlier, in an engagement on Apexnewsgh.com flagship programme dubbed “SPEAKOUT UPPER EAST” Solomon TTBa resident of the area has alleged that workers are been treated unfairly by management. “I am telling you that those people are more and less like they are working by day. They are working by day because, the moment you go to work they will mark your pay for the day, but the day you did not go to work, that day they won’t mark and you won’t get anything. And there is no mining firm in this country that is doing by day unless you are a casual worker or they are engaging you to come and do construction work for them”. He said However, responding to the comment made by Solomon TTB, the branch Union Secretary Mr. Yintota, partially admitted that is true that workers of Earl International don’t receive equal payment like other workers in various mining companies. “Am aware that their salaries are more than us and that where we are all struggling to see how we can catch up and they are been paid in dollars and we are been paid in cedis. But now we have been paid in cedis converted to dollar rate. As I told you, we are going to discuss 2023 salaries in dollars and that is the only thing I think we are lacking from other mining companies. Besides that, in the mining industry, the way our safety and other thing was, we were not like other miners. But because they have moved to a large scale, safety has improved. We are not saying we are perfect like other mining companies but we are also far behind where we came from and we are better somehow now”. Mr. Yintota told Apexnewsgh.com Source: Apexnewsgh.com For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com

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UER: Acting PRO of Yenyeya Mining Enterprise Accused Upper East Reg. Minister of… Jarvis Avoka, Yenyeya Acting PRO and Upper East Regional Minister on the picture
Mining, Opinion

UER: Acting PRO of Yenyeya Mining Enterprise Accused Upper East Reg. Minister of…

The Acting Public Relation Officer (PRO) of Yenyeya Mining Enterprise, a mining firm operating in the Gbane Community in Talensi District of the Upper East Region Jarvis Avoka has accused the Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu of denying them (Yenyeya) the opportunity to addressed some concerns during the Sector Minister’s Visit to the region. Apexnewsgh.com reports The Sector Minister for Land and Natural resources Samual Abu Jinapor in a one-day visit to the Upper East Region mining site in Gbane community where he met with the officials of Earl International Group (GH) Gold Limited. However, his visit has brought some level of dissatisfaction to officials of Yenyeya Mining Enterprise who were not excited with the treatment offered them by the Regional Minister and some other concerns such as not receiving any formal letter regarding the visit of the Sector Minister. Yenyeya also described the Regional Minister’s action of leading the sector minister to the site in dispute as an illegality.    “That morning, my boss informed me that the minister is coming and my worry was that, whether we were invited? NO. No one gave him any formal notice that the sector Minister was visiting. So, we just went there and sat. Then they said, the minister was coming at 12 pm. If you check my Facebook wall you will see that i made a post when I saw Earl International Group (GH) Gold Limited welcomes you Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and your entourage to our operation site Gbane that, “…the matter is in court. Lawyers for the Chinese prayed the court for an out-of-court settlement. The presiding judge granted this request. Discussions commenced with the Upper East Regional Minister as the key arbiter. …. This letter that the Minerals Commission wrote with the keyword “demobilize” was recently published… Today, the key arbiter is leading the Sector Minister to visit the same site amidst funfair to validate the illegality and arm-twist the two local small-scale mining license holders? ….. Impunity? Disregard for our laws and legal processes court authority?” Yenyeya Acting PRO Jarvis Avoka complained on his Facebook wall, the day of the Sector Minister’s visit to Gbane. He also raised another concern, that the Regional Minister who happens to be the arbitrator between them and the Chinese people denied officials of Yenyeya the opportunity to air their concerns during the visit of the sector minister, hence allowed officials of Earl International to make a presentation as they claimed, the 38 small scale miner involved have been settled and compensated and there were no issues on the ground. “When the Sector Minister came, he just addressed the house and said that he has no time to go round the facility as they initially planned because of time, he would want to go. So Maxwell Wooma made a Presentation and afterward, my boss (Charles) wanted to say something and the Regional Minister said, due to lack of time, he should rather come to the residency”. Jarvis told Apexnews Gh However, when Apexnewsgh.com contacted Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu on his part of the story he said, Mr. Charles Ndabon did not catch the eye of the Sector Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor. But he later realized that Mr. Ndabon wanted to say something and he quickly informed him to come to the RCC where the Sector Minister was supposed to meet with some other small-scale miners and that was when they were about leaving the site. “After going around Cardinal Resources, we were very tired. So, the Minister told me, we are going to spend only 15 minutes there. So, Maxwell, their PRO got up and introduced themselves, they even introduced Charles he was there and they introduced him and the Minister wanted to leave and then Maxwell begged and said he wanted to explain a few things to the sector minister. So, we all waited and Maxwell put up this thing and we all listen, after that when we are to go, Charles then wanted to ask a question and the Sector Minister didn’t catch his eye. So, I realized he wanted to ask a question, then I asked him to come to the RCC”. Responding to the issue of not giving formal notice to Yenyeya Mining Enterprise regarding the coming of the sector minister, the Minister said, is not his responsibility to inform the miners about the Sector minister’s visit and must not be blamed for that. He said that is the job of the Mineral Commission and Ministry. “Am i the one who is supposed to inform them? Is it not Mineral Commission? If the Ministry is coming to meet people, is it not the Ministry who should do all these things. So, wherever they heard and they came to the meeting what was wrong? If they didn’t catch the eye of the Minister and I signal him that, there is another meeting, that you can come there and ask your questions, why didn’t they come? Because I was only doing them a favor. I am very surprised, Charles should be the last person….Because this world is not a fair place, because when you are trying to do the right thing for people, people don’t like it that way. Because my brother, I brought these things on the table and before I came, none of these were on the table. Upper East Regional Minister responded  More to come… Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen  Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

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Go back to court, I don’t think your chief arbitrator is giving you fair treatment —Paul Danka gives free advice to Yenyeya Mining Enterprise John Paul Danka, a member of NDC communication team and Talensi resident
Mining, Opinion

Go back to court, I don’t think your chief arbitrator is giving you fair treatment —Paul Danka gives free advice to Yenyeya Mining Enterprise

John Paul Danka a Communication Team member of the Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) who doubles as a native of Talensi District of the Upper East Region has advised Yenyeya Mining Enterprise an aggrieved registered small scale mining company operating in Gbane Community to proceed back to court. Apexnewsgh.com reports According to a brief history between Yenyeya Mining Enterprise and Shaanxi Mining Limited now known as EARL International. It is public knowledge that Shaanxi mining now Earl International Group (GH) Gold Mining Limited came into Gbane community of Talensi through Yenyeya the owner of the concession they currently occupied. It is also public knowledge that Shaanxi Mining was brought in to give Yenyeya a mining support service. It is also public knowledge that these two entities have worked together as partners since 2008. However, the latest development causing albatross per what is out there in the public domain got to do with the Chinese moving into a large-scale mining business under the name “Earl International Group (GH) Gold Mining Limited” through the back door which has been described as a strategy of taking over the concession that belonged to Yenyeya (his Ghanaian employer). Yenyeya Mining Enterprise later went to court praying for “an independent professional auditor” to audit the “mining operations and other related activities” that have been carried out inside the Yenyeya Mining Enterprise’s concession from 2008 to date. However, the Plaintiff is also praying the High Court to pronounce a restraining order “in the nature of a perpetual injunction” stopping Earl International Group (GH) Gold Mining Limited “from doing illegal mining and related activities” in the Yenyeya Mining Enterprise’s small-scale concession and from entering the concession until the court case is over. Yenyeya Mining Enterprise further seek “relief for damages resulting from injury caused to Plaintiff’s rights by the willful and malicious conversion of Plaintiff’s ownership of its small-scale mining concession by the defendants”. It is also looking for relief for “damages sustained from injury to Plaintiff’s property resulting from breach of contract and the unauthorized and wrongful exercise of control over Plaintiff’s concession by the defendants”. But according to Mr. Danka who was speaking on Dreams FM Morning Show monitored by Apexnewsgh.com on October 8, 2021, the actions exhibited so far by the regional minister who happens to be the arbitrator between the mining partners has not shown any atom of equal fairness to Yenyeya Mining Enterprise.    “I was expecting that time the sector/regional minister will be giving the commentary and even before the company that are coming in are given there prospective licensing and what have you per whichever stage they have gotten to MOU should have been signed with the assembly and our Tidaan and Chiefs been parts of these MOUs. “Because our land tenant system here they should remember, is different from any other land system here in the country depending on where you found yourself. In Talensi, we know that Tindaana’s own lands so they need to be part of parcel of these MOUs and to appreciate exactly what the mining Companies have brought”. “And here is the situation, the politicians is usual of them, we will come and speak big big grammer, introduce the miners to you chiefs and what have you and they will leave you and whatever they have signed for the companies and what the companies are giving them in return, they have taken their share and they are gone. And remember, an appointment is not forever”. “So, I am expecting that by now, we should have been talking about MOU been signed by the assembly and telling the people of Talensi what they intend to do for us in 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years 20 years as they mine, so that we can track their activities. This is what they called, (we are learning from the past). But what they did, is the same thing. The repeated has been happening. Those coming to chief created an impression that they are the best, but they can’t be at the site to know the damage and how activities will affect the people on the ground. That is the situation we are still confronted with” “You see, the companies they have mentioned their names apart from I think Cardinal Resource that am aware that they had their own concession. ”This company that they went to visit for instance… Why are we doing this to ourselves? You see, the regional minister mislead the sector minister. Because we all know that where he went and met EARL is not for EARL. Shaanxi is no more Shaanxi because Shaanxi should have even moved their things long ago. You see, in all these happenings, I blamed Yenyeya, I still don’t know what they are waiting for. They are your employees, you didn’t even need to wait for these people to come and write to them to leave because the law is no more working. Once you have been told to demobilize and leave, so be it. EARL claimed they have paid compensation to other people close to 16 square acre, you should have gone to meet them there. Do you meet Cardinal Resource in somebody’s concession? He questioned And you see, the matter is at court concerning certain unfilled agreements they have not done and you the Regional Minister requested for an out of court settlement, you are now the Chief arbitrator of this case and you know that there is an injunction that no one should enter the place and no one should use the place. So, how then did you the Chief arbitrator get up and be following one party? When you know that we have not solved the problem, the problem is not been solved, we have not finished. For me, I will advise Yenyeya, they should go back to the court because, the way and manner the chief arbitrator is acting, I don’t think they will get any fair treatment from him. They should go back

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