Talensi Mining Communities Initiative (TAMCI) formerly known as TEMCI a Civil Society Organization fighting for the interest of vulnerable miners in the Talensi District has marked every January 23 as a ‘BLACK DAY’ for the people of Talensi and Upper East Region at large. This follows as a remembrance and an opportunity to mourn the death of the 16 illustrious youths of the area who lost their lives in the hustle field on the ugly day of January 23, 2019. To mark the day, every member of the organization was seen either wearing black or red which signifies a mourning dress code for persons believed to be entangled by a terrible tragedy. Reading with a painful heart, one of the leading members of TAMCI Albert Naa said, “It is with heavy hearts that we have gathered here to solemnly reflect and commemorate the death of the 16 industrious sons of our land who were gruesomely murdered exactly four years ago today. And also to remember all those who have died or have been maimed before and after that fateful incident in 2019, through the negligence of some mining companies in Talensi and to renew our demands and call for compensation for the families of the victims”. According to TAMCI, when gold was found in large quantities in Talensi, they drummed and danced out their heart with joy. they had high hopes that the free natural gift to them will bring employment, community development, peace and unity. They thought the livelihoods of their people will be improved. But, little did they know, that their youth was going to be sacrificed on the altar of foreign profiteering agenda with support from local turncoats. The group says, “…as we continue to call for justice in the form of compensation for the victims, we encourage mining companies both small and large scale to take Regulation 2012, (L.I. 2177) and (L.I. 2183) of the Minerals and Mining Act 703 (Act 2006) seriously in their operations. These regulations detail how explosives should be handled and used in mining, and the health and safety precautions that must be adhered to”. The group also believes that the Mineral Commission who are mandated to make sure there is transparency in every mining community not helping matters in the area “It is our belief that if the Minerals Commission had been proactive and not reactive in its regulatory mandate, we would not have lost 16 industrious sons in the manner in which we lost them. They would still be with us today breaking bread as we plan the future of our collective destinies together. And the hardships their wives, children, and other dependents are going through today would have been averted or reduced”. They stressed “The minerals commission’s investigation into the incident in 2019, found Shaanxi guilty of various counts and so fined them USD50,000.00 but failed to prescribe any compensation for the bereaved families”. “The surviving dependents of the victims are left on their own. They live in hopelessness and in penury since their only hope of survival were gruesomely taken away from them 4 years ago. For this cause, we have made several attempts to draw the attention of duty bearers to the error of not prescribing any compensation for the dependents of the 2019 victims. We have demonstrated, held press conferences educated community members, and engaged duty bearers. But all these have fallen on deaf ears. This indifference from relevant government officials and traditional authorities puts all of us at risk as it emboldens mining companies to go scot-free in their recklessness and creates the impression that, TALENSI LIVES DON’T MATTER. “As we have always done, we will continue to observe this Black Wednesday event every year and use the event to remind duty bearers of their sworn duties to protect the interest of Ghana and its people. That all are equal in the eyes of the law and also to hold mining companies accountable for their actions. We know the road will be muddy and rough but we will get there. Heaven knows how”. They noted Meanwhile, some of the family victims present at the commemoration event shared some of their painful experiences as they called on the government and authorities responsible to come to their aid. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on +233256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
