Talensi Mining Communities’ Initiative Archives

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

Mining, Opinion

FOAEJU-GH demands Upper East Minister’s resignation over allegations

Forum for Accountability and Equal Justice in Northern Ghana (FOAEJU-GH) a known civil society organization operating in the North, has humbly demanded the Upper East Regional Minister’s resignation or sack by the President of the Republic of Ghana. According to the group, resigning or sacking of the accused Regional Minister will pave way for a proper investigation to be conducted following the alleged allegation on abuse of office, abetment of crime, defrauding and false representation. However, the group has threatened that if the Regional Minister failed to comply, they will be hitting the streets in the coming weeks to further demand his resignation or dismissal. “We have been advised by our lawyers not to dwell on matters that have been filed before CHRAJ on abuse of office, abetment of crime, defrauding and false representation as alleged against the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu. We are of the opinion that the Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu alias Akurugu, should resign now or be sacked by the President of the Republic of Ghana to allow a proper investigation to take place. Failing to do so, we will hit the streets of the regional capital in the coming weeks to demand his resignation or dismissal. We want to state that our members cut across the political divide. So, we can assure you that you will see majority of NPP, NDC and others among the protesters when the day comes”. Forum for Accountability and Equal Justice in Northern Ghana in their press release also saw a press conference organized by one Azumah Atule and Robert Boazor Tampoare as a fiasco because “It is crystal-clear that all attempts to defend wrongdoing and to protect perpetrators to continue to rob people of their legal rights on small-scale mining concessions are indeed the works of his paymasters in political positions”. Read full statement below: FORUM FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND EQUAL JUSTICE IN NORTHERN GHANA (FOAEJU-GH) Date…………………… PRESS STATEMENT RESPONSE TO SMALL-SCALE MINERS WHO HAVE SIGNED AND RELINQUISHED THEIR INTERESTS IN SMALL-SCALE MINING CONCESSIONS TO EARL INTERNATIONAL GROUP GHANA GOLD LIMITED IN A PRESS RELEASE DATED 23RD JANUARY, 2023. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen from the media, good afternoon. We the members of the Forum for Accountability and Equal Justice in Northern Ghana (FOAEJU-GH) drawn from all the municipalities and districts in the Upper East Region seek to draw the public attention to the predicament which some of our members from mining communities are facing notably the recent challenges in Talensi District, Gbane to be precise. It has come to our notice that one Azumah Atule, who is a member of a small-scale mining group and calls himself a zonal secretary to a Talensi small-scale mining association, signed a release to the subject matter of the day. It is crystal-clear that all attempts to defend wrongdoing and to protect perpetrators to continue to rob people of their legal rights on small-scale mining concessions are indeed the works of his paymasters in political positions. Ladies and gentlemen, we sincerely want to draw your attention to the background of the release signed by the relinquished person in the name of Azumah Atule. In the background of the press release on the said day, he stated a lot of meetings that ended inconclusively prior to the assumption of office as Upper East Regional Minister of Stephen Yakubu also known as Armstrong Akurugu. The fact remains that Azumah Atule and Robert Boazor Tampoare led an instigation that brought about the burning of some machines belonging to Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited, a support service company serving Yenyeya and Pubortaaba mines at the time and now known as Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited. Inset: A picture of one of the mining machines burned in 2011 through an upheaval led by Atule and Robert. It is also not true that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yenyeya Mining Company, Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon who is also the current Upper East Regional Organiser of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), was walked out because of any stupid action as alleged by Atule Azumah and his clique. The fact remains that he (Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon) lawfully protested against an action by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) negotiating to give permit to Earl International (formerly known as Shaanxi) over his valid permit on the same concession which he deemed as illegal. Hon. Ndanbon had hired a lawyer to seek injunction on the issuance of the permit. This lawful protest caused one Mr Ransford Sekyi, an official of the EPA, to request that Hon. Ndanbon take leave of the meeting to speak to his lawyer about the injunction motion before he may rejoin the meeting. Hon. Ndanbon was not walked out from the meeting for any stupid action. Mr Sekyi is a gentleman and he will do no such thing to people. We rather deem it silly for anyone or any group to falsely state that an EPA boss walked someone out. Inset: EPA permits issued to Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon, Yenyeya Mining Enterprise’s CEO. It is also not true that Robert Boazor Tampoare and Azumah Atule are concession holders. They are known as members of small-scale mining groups and they (Robert and Atule) cannot hold themselves out as concession owners unlike Hon. Boyak Kolog Zongdan popularly known as Polo and Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon who individually have concessions of their own and are CEOs and are well known and respected for responsible mining operations. To set the records straight, it is clear that the authors of their press release were engineered by some political officeholders who are working hard to destroy the businesses of these two honourable and responsible miners, Hon. Boyak Kolog Zongdan popularly known as Polo and Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon. Ladies and gentlemen, it is sad to state that these defence witnesses (Robert and Atule) to the Upper East Regional Minister Hon. Stephen Yakubu alias Akurugu are trying to jump the gun by trying to defend the Regional Minister on

Mining

“It is unacceptable that the RCC takes direct responsibility from a private large-scale mining company—TAMCI

The statement said: “It is unacceptable that the RCC takes direct responsibility from a private large-scale mining company, Earl International, by paying compensation on its behalf”. “This raises serious concerns about conflict of interest. The RCC represents the State; so, being in charge of Earl International’s disbursement of cash compensation is alarming”. This is according to a press conference held in Bolgatanga by Talensi Mining Communities’ Initiative (TAMCI). Apexnewsgh.com report TAMCI, a Civil Society Organisation operating in the Talensi District in the Upper East Region, with support from Savannah Research and Advocacy Network (SRAN) has said, they are reliably informed that funds released by Earl International for the compensation exercise of Small Scale Miners were lodged in one of the RCC accounts for onward disbursement to the concessionaires and that was organized in a take-or-leave manner under the supervision of the Upper East Regional Minister. However, some members of the Unique Mining Company who were present at the press conference also narrated how an amount of USD 150, 000.00 meant to compensate them for trespasses by Shaanxi (Earl International) into their concession was fraudulently paid to one Robert Boazor Tampoare by the Regional Minister. “As we speak now some aggrieved members of the Unique Mining Company have petitioned the Economic and Organized Crime Office – EOCO about how USD 150,000.00 meant to compensate them for trespasses by Shaanxi (Earl International) into their concession was fraudulently paid to Robert Boazor Tampoare by the Regional Minister”. Meanwhile, when Apexnewsgh.com contacted Robert Boazor Tampoare for his side of the story, he said: “Those who are talking about it, the convener and what and what, whatever they know about it, they should have their time to go about it. Me, I have nothing to say about anything, whatever they know about it and how they understand it, is up to them. So, they should about what they want to do. He hanged up. The Regional Minister said he intervened because, by the time he assumed office as the Upper East Regional Minister, they were already some existing problems that needs to be resolved between the small-scale miners and Earl International. However, responding to the claim by some group members of Unique Mining Company and Talensi Mining Communities’ Initiative (TAMCI) on the role he played by giving an amount of USD 150,000.00 meant for a company to an individual, the Minister said, when he met with the group for a meeting, some of the issues raised by Robert Tampore was that, the other aggrieved members were not contributing to the company. Adding that, “Indeed, if you have a partner and he has not even contributed at all, you should let him know what is going on and that was how we felt at the meeting and we thought that whatever it is, they should have sat down and discussed it. But you see, when they took the first Ghc 150,000 and they shared no one heard anything about it and we are talking about a year and a half going to two years”. The Minister told Apexnewsgh.com. Read the full statement below: PRESS CONFERENCE BYTALENSI MINING COMMUNITIES’ INITIATIVE (TAMCI)8TH DECEMBER, 2022.WE SHALL OVERCOME! VENCEREMOSINTRODUCTION Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the media, members of civil society organizations present and all interested parties, we wish to welcome all of you to this very important press conference. We are very grateful to you for keeping faith with us from day one to date. It’s been a journey of lessons and reflections. We set out to fight for the development of our community. As the saying goes, the enemy is always within. We have been called names, dragged to court, physically assaulted, betrayed and remanded in police custody all in a vicious and desperate attempt to silence the only voice that thunders hope and advocates for development in Talensi. But the good Lord continues to hold our right hand so we will remain resolute in our convictions, steadfast in our forward match and bold in our approach. THE GENESISWe wish to bring to your attention that gold mining in Talenteng― particularly by Shaanxi now known as Earl International Group, Cardinal, and their partners ― has brought us hell. It saddens our hearts that in Talensi, these mining companies fail to comply with relevant laws and regulations of the Mining & Minerals Act 2006 (Act 703) on compensation, resettlement, safety, local content etc. to the disadvantage of the citizens whose gold is being stolen to enrich foreign lands. It also saddens us to note that Earl International and Cardinal Resources do not respect and adhere to the laws of this country because they have help from local traditional and political authorities. The reckless mining practices introduced by Shaanxi in our area has caused many tragedies which has claimed many lives. One such tragedy was when we lost 16 young and energetic men through one of their planned executions and recklessness. Earl International also recruits supervisors who are Chinese and who cannot communicate to any team in operation in the language members of the teams understand, which is a breach of Regulation 508 of LI 2182. This deadly lapse was revealed in a Minerals Commission report as one of the reasons the 16 young men died in 2019 in Talensi. We are sure that as you take a keen interest in listening to us, you will be shocked as we reveal the development of our predicament to you. THE BLOOD OF THE 16 WHO WERE MURDERED IN EARL INTERNATIONAL MINE IN 2019 IS CRYING FOR JUSTICE – TALENSI LIVES MATTER Shaanxi/Earl International’s continuous posturing that the sixteen young men they murdered in 2019 were illegal miners, is infuriating the community and has the tendency to ignite an uprising. We are very worried as we discuss with you today that the deaths of our 16 brothers were caused by Shaanxi and the minerals commission investigative report on the incident, proves our point that Shaanxi laced explosives with a lethal chemical called

Mining

Talensi Mining Communities’ Initiative (TAMCI) demands justice for the families of 16 dead miners

Talensi Mining Communities’ Initiative (TAMCI) a Civil Society Organisation operating in the Talensi District in the Upper East Region, with the support from Savannah Research and Advocacy Network (SRAN) has organized a press conference demanding the compensation for families of the 16 young men who lost their lives as a result of the negligence caused by the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited now EARL International Group (Ghana) Gold Limited. Apexnewsgh.com report The statement which was read by the TAMCI Secretary Mr. Laamdolba Bright says: “We are very worried as we discuss with you today that the deaths of our 16 brothers were caused by Shaanxi and the minerals commission investigative report on the incident, proves our point that Shaanxi laced explosives with a lethal chemical called chlorine to kill the 16 young men intentionally”. The group also revealed that Kwesi Bantama has since not also compensated the families of the 16 who were killed by Shaanxi while working for him in 2019. Meanwhile, the group has hinted that Shaanxi/Earl International’s continuous posturing that the sixteen young men who lost their lives in 2019 were illegal miners, is infuriating the community and has the tendency to ignite an uprising. Read the full statement below PRESS CONFERENCE BYTALENSI MINING COMMUNITIES’ INITIATIVE (TAMCI)8TH DECEMBER, 2022.WE SHALL OVERCOME! VENCEREMOSINTRODUCTION Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the media, members of civil society organizations present and all interested parties, we wish to welcome all of you to this very important press conference. We are very grateful to you for keeping faith with us from day one to date. It’s been a journey of lessons and reflections. We set out to fight for the development of our community. As the saying goes, the enemy is always within. We have been called names, dragged to court, physically assaulted, betrayed and remanded in police custody all in a vicious and desperate attempt to silence the only voice that thunders hope and advocates for development in Talensi. But the good Lord continues to hold our right hand so we will remain resolute in our convictions, steadfast in our forward match and bold in our approach. THE GENESISWe wish to bring to your attention that gold mining in Talenteng― particularly by Shaanxi now known as Earl International Group, Cardinal and their partners ― has brought us hell. It saddens our hearts that in Talensi, these mining companies fail to comply with relevant laws and regulations of the Mining & Minerals Act 2006 (Act 703) on compensation, resettlement, safety, local content etc. to the disadvantage of the citizens whose gold is being stollen to enrich foreign lands. It also saddens us to note that Earl International and Cardinal Resources do not respect and adhere to the laws of this country because they have help from local traditional and political authorities. The reckless mining practices introduced by Shaanxi in our area have caused many tragedies which have claimed many lives. One such tragedy was when we lost 16 young and energetic men through one of their planned executions and recklessness. Earl International also recruits supervisors who are Chinese and who cannot communicate to any team in operation in the language members of the teams understand, which is a breach of Regulation 508 of LI 2182. This deadly lapse was revealed in a Minerals Commission report as one of the reasons the 16 young men died in 2019 in Talensi. We are sure that as you take a keen interest in listening to us, you will be shocked as we reveal the development of our predicament to you. THE BLOOD OF THE 16 WHO WERE MURDERED IN EARL INTERNATIONAL MINE IN 2019 IS CRYING FOR JUSTICE – TALENSI LIVES MATTER Shaanxi/Earl International’s continuous posturing that the sixteen young men they murdered in 2019 were illegal miners, is infuriating the community and has the tendency to ignite an uprising. We are very worried as we discuss with you today that the deaths of our 16 brothers were caused by Shaanxi and the minerals commission investigative report on the incident, proves our point that Shaanxi laced explosives with a lethal chemical called chlorine to kill the 16 young men intentionally.Also, the allegation that the young men were killed in a Shaanxi mine was deliberately concocted to brand them as thieves and hence deny their families any compensation due them. Kwesi Bantama has since not also compensated the families of the 16 who were killed by Shaanxi while working for him in 2019. In just a short while, we will rise on him too. Justice must be served and we will ensure it. We hope the elite and the traditional authorities will work for the benefit of their constituents. After all they are there to protect and represent the people.At this point, we want to observe a minute silence for Miner Paul Agbango who died through electrocution at the Earl International Group mine in Talensi some days ago. LANDS & NATURAL RESOURCE MINISTRY, EPA AND MINERALS COMMISSION, THE SOURCE OF THE WOES OF GOLD MINING IN TALENSI. The Minerals Commission in the Upper East Region is not doing enough as far as their mandate to supervise and ensure that large scale mining companies adheres to the rules and regulations of Ghana as far as license acquisition, mining boundary dispute resolution, safety and precautionary measures among others are concerned. Some of the licences issued by the the Land & Natural Resource Ministry are also stained with irregularities. When the minerals commission recommended the issuance of the Earl International Gold Group large scale licence in 2019, Yenyeya, Unique and Pubortaaba and co mining licences were all active and are still active. Earlier that year Shaanxi through its recklessness and planned execution of the cream of our society (our youth) had killed sixteen young men and left their families destitute and hopeless but the Minerals Commission did not care. The environmental protection agency also granted EPA permit to Earl international group when Yenyeya, Unique, Pubortaaba and co. permits were still active.

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

FOAEJU-GH demands Upper East Minister’s resignation over allegations

“It is unacceptable that the RCC takes direct responsibility from a private large-scale mining company—TAMCI

Talensi Mining Communities’ Initiative (TAMCI) demands justice for the families of 16 dead miners

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