Over 500 workers of Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited who lost their job following the closure of the mine last month are calling on government through the Land Ministry to consider their plight by granting them the permission to resume operations.
On May 4, 2017, the mining firm which is a subsidiary of China Gold Resources Group, Ghana branch was asked to suspend operations on the directive of the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources in order to pave the way for the ministry to conduct full scale investigation into alleged deaths of some seven illegal miners.
Following the directive, the Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari and members of the Regional Security Council, REGSEC visited the mining site to assist in the said investigation.
Though the team completed its preliminary investigations on May 10, 2017, the fate of the company and the jobless mine workers remain uncertain.
Moreover, the company has since not been furnished with information on the findings and recommendations of the investigation.
At a press conference held at the mine premises at Gbane in the Talensi District, the spokesperson of the workers, Rockson Edusei, said efforts at reaching the sector minister on the matter had yielded no positive result as management is equally tight lipped as to when the operations will commenced.
He said due to the closure of the mine, workers are going through difficult times as majority are not able to access basic health care, make end meets and fend for their families and dependants.
Mr. Edusei noted that the plight of the workers is being worsened day-by-day because payment of school fees for their wards had become a headache as most of his colleagues are indebted to their landlords and even food vendors.
He however, appealed to the sector minister to expedite action by rescinding its earlier decision since the lives of the workers largely depend on the company.
While urging the sector minister to heed to their call, Mr. Edusei disclosed that apart from their personal challenges as workers, the mine had been invaded by illegal miners whose current activities poses a threat to their very survival.
According to him, the illicit miners are currently engaged in unhealthy mining activities if not held in check can cause a possible cave in any time soon.
He accused them of having invaded their underground workings, stolen ores, and blasted support pillars, among other illegalities. He warned that the blast of the support pillars for instance is weakening the mine.
He said the use of minors by these illegal miners also poses danger to their operations because they are inexperienced and could blast themselves up.
To this effect, Mr. Edusei called on the national security to as a matter of urgency move in to fill the abandoned pits used by these illegal miners to enable the mine access its underground workings.
He further seized the platform to urge the Minerals Commission to grant the mine a large scale license to expand her operations.
He said though it had been issued the required licence by the commission, portions of the concessions were illegally granted to an Australian Mining Company, Cassius Mining Ltd.
He said the cut out portions which falls within their operational area is causing an overlap since they have already done diamond drilling work in the said area.
He requested the sector minister to consider revising the decision of the commission so that Shaanxi mining Ltd can regain the entire area it applied for and again take action by placing sanction or revoking the current license of Cassius mining for illegally going through the license acquisition process.
GBC
Story by Isaac Asare
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