- Advertisement -
A growing wave of discontent has emerged from Mfante and its adjoining communities in the Ahafo Ano North District of the Ashanti Region, as residents vehemently protest what they describe as an abrupt and unlawful dispossession of their community mining site.
The affected communities—Mfante, Asikam, Subriso, Numesua and surrounding settlements contend that the mining concession, which was established under the Mfante Community Mining Scheme by the previous administration, has for years constituted the economic backbone of the area, sustaining the livelihoods of thousands of households.
According to the residents, the initiative was deliberately designed to generate employment and promote inclusive local economic development. However, they allege that the concession has recently been taken over under opaque and questionable circumstances, effectively displacing over 5,000 workers who depend on the site for their daily sustenance.
The aggrieved residents maintain that prior to this development, they had been actively engaging the current government in efforts to secure a cooperative mining license aimed at regularizing their operations within the legal framework. They further assert that assurances had previously been given by some political actors ahead of the 2024 general elections, raising expectations of institutional support toward formalizing their activities.
They also insist that their operations are environmentally conscious, emphasizing that they engage in hard rock mining locally referred to as “ghetto work” which they argue significantly reduces the destruction of water bodies and farmlands compared to other forms of mining.
Tensions reportedly escalated on Monday, March 23, 2026, when a group of individuals, alleged to be operatives of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), stormed the site and ordered an immediate cessation of all activities, directing workers to vacate the premises without any formal explanation.
The residents question the legitimacy of the operation, alleging that the individuals neither presented official documentation nor arrived in identifiable government vehicles. They further claim that the group was accompanied by heavy-duty machinery, including bulldozers, which are currently being deployed at the site under the protection of persons purported to be NAIMOS officials. Vehicle registration numbers GE 7203-25 and GS 725-25 have been cited in connection with the incident.
In a more serious and yet unsubstantiated allegation, the residents claim that the Minerals Commission may have engaged in dealings with certain foreign nationals, culminating in the transfer of the concession to these individuals.
The residents are therefore calling for an immediate and thorough investigation by government authorities, including the Ashanti Regional Minister and other relevant state institutions, to ascertain the legality of the takeover and to ensure the restoration of their access to the mining site.
They caution that the continued denial of access to the concession poses a significant threat to the economic stability of the affected communities, warning that thousands of families risk being plunged into severe financial distress if swift remedial action is not undertaken.
- Advertisement -
