The planned demonstration last month by the Obuasi Youth Community Mining Association and some concerned youth of Obuasi was cancelled at the last minute after the Adansihene, Opagyakotwere Bonsra Afriyie II intervened. According to the group, Adansihene’s meeting with the management of AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine couldn’t yield the needed results so the demonstration will take place.
The leadership of the Obuasi Deserves Better demonstration revealed that their intended demonstration was called off after a meeting with Adansihene, Opagyakotwere Bonsra Afriyie II. Speaking on the Ghana Nti Morning Show on Aseda FM in Obuasi, the leadership of the group said they decided to call off the demonstration after they were called by the Adansihene and assured that he would speak to those mentioned in their petition. The Adansihene gave them two weeks within which he will meet the management of the Mine concerned and get back to them.
The group said that, out of respect for Adansihene, they decided to call off the demonstration and wait for the response from Adanishene’s meeting with the stakeholders concerned.
According to a letter sighted by Obuasitoday.com, the group said the “engagement between the Adansihene and AngloGold Ashanti was futile” hence they have decided to embark on the demonstration on Tuesday, 21st June 2022.
Obuasi Deserves Better Demonstration’s aim is to call on AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine to employ more Obuasi youth. The demonstrators will also, in the petition, ask the Mine to release their abandoned mining sites to the various Assemblies and traditional rulers so that they could be used for community Mining.
Speaking to one of the Conveners, Haki Waala, he said a lot of youth in Obuasi are unemployed and that could destabilize the peace in the town so the various assemblies and the Mine must come together and find a solution to that problem. According to him, if AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine employs more people from Obuasi, it could help reduce the unemployment rate in Obuasi.
The starting point for the demonstration for those in Obuasi East is the Tutuka bus stop and those in Obuasi West will assemble at ETS. The demonstrators will meet at 7 am and they expect a minimum of 2000 youth in Obuasi to take part in the demonstration.