Obuasi police invites leaders of rampaging illegal miners for questioning

The Obuasi police have invited the leadership of the Artisanal Miners Association for questioning after members of the group went on a rampage Wednesday.

a joint police-military reinforcement fired several warning shots to disperse the illegal miners who attacked the Municipal Assembly, political parties offices and destroyed party paraphernalia and other property.

The miners have been marching in protest over supposed attempts to drive them away from AngloGold Ashanti concessions where they have been operating.

The Minerals Commission inaugurated a 15-member committee to draw relocation plan for illegal miners in August 2016.

However, the miners were angered when the military showed up at the sites where they have been mining with an eviction notice.

The miners have petitioned the Municipal Chief Executive about their grievances because they were not informed to prepare adequately for the exercise.

But the march to the Assembly to present the petition turned violent as the miners' destroyed property at Municipal Assembly, NPP, and NDC Constituencies among others.

The small scale miners, wielding metal bars, clubs and anything they laid their hands on without any provocation destroyed billboards, posters and party offices of both the NPP and the NDC before venting their anger on the offices of the local assembly.

Glasses to the reception of the assembly and louver blades were smashed in the process.

Deputy Municipal Coordinating Director, Anthony Kenneth Buckner, who returned to his office only to see his office badly hit by the mob action says he had no option than to run to safety when he saw them approaching.

“I saw them [illegal miners] coming so quickly a friend was coming with a car so I joined him and he took me to the hospital. So I was hiding comfortably with the health director when the issues were going on. It was right now that I called and they said the place has subsided. When I got to my office, it was a disaster. My computer was down. They throw stones through the back destroying my things. The glasses and all things scattered on the floor,” he said.

The presence of police-military joint team perhaps saved the situation after several warning shots were fired.

Spent cartridges were found scattered at the entrance of the assembly building after the miners had succeeded in smashing glasses at the reception.

The reinforcement from Kumasi will stay until calm completely returns. They have been patrolling the streets, with some fearing that the curfew may be imposed on the city.

An invitation to the leadership of the illegal miners is yet to be heeded.

Divisional Police Commander, ACP Afful Boakye Yiadom, tells Nhyira FM no one has been arrested in connection with Wednesday’ s violence.

He has condemned the action of the miners.
"I'm inviting the leadership. They are coming to me at 2: p.m [Wednesday].I am sure the leaders led them to the place and they would be taken on so there's no problem. So far as they have leaders, the leaders would be taken on for the illegal demonstration they had today," Mr. Afful said.