The Obuasi Must Live Coalition acknowledges the modest strides that have been made towards resolving the many challenges that confronted mining in Obuasi.
We wish to acknowledge the personal intervention of the Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. John Alexander Kobina Ackon, Municipal Chief Executive of Obuasi, Hon. Richard Ofori Agyeman Boadi, Presiding Member of the Obuasi Municipal Assembly, Hon. Joseph Festus Kwaku Addai, religious leaders and other opinion leaders who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to resolve the impasse between AngloGold Ashanti and small scale miners.
Signals we are picking indicate that this breakthrough in negotiations has led to an agreement with the small scale miners to move out of some key areas within the concession of AngloGold Ashanti by Tuesday May 17th 2016. This move by the small scale miners will lead to a tranquil environment for both the multinational mining company and small scale miners to co-exist for the ultimate benefit of Obuasi.
The crisis has also led to the opening of a Minerals Commission office in Obuasi. We hope that this office will facilitate the regularization of small scale mining in the Municipality, particularly on the ceded concession by AngloGold Ashanti.
Over the past one month, members of the Coalition have been involved in intensive behind-the-scenes engagement with all stakeholders in the crisis as well as key personalities and institutions within the Obuasi Municipality.
The key stakeholders we have met include AngloGold Ashanti, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups, government officials and small scale miners association. We are happy to report that these engagements have yielded fruit. This crucial step we took also emphasizes the point that dialogue will always prevail over violence.
The Obuasi Must Live Coalition is still committed to the goal for which it was formed: to see an Obuasi where AngloGold Ashanti and small scale miners operate on separate concessions peacefully. We are happy that this goal is gradually being realized.
We are therefore not moved by spurious and malicious allegations being peddled around with the sole aim of crippling the integrity of the Coalition.
SIGNED
Prince Kwame Aboagye
(Convener)
0249775522/ 0208935794
1 comment
I would like to thank the Coalition on their tireless effort to restore law and order in Obuasi.
In the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Interior Ministry & Minister Bani are responsible for law and order in Ghana if their agencies including Ashanti Reg. Security Council failed on their responsibilities. We know that the stakeholders mentioned in the Press Release have not hugely influenced the chaotic situation in Obuasi.
I challenge the Coalition representatives to knock at the doors of the Interior Ministry and the Minister for effective actions on the safety issues in Obuasi.
ObuasiMustNotDie