Residents of Salman, a prominent mining community in the Western Region, are calling for urgent government intervention as tensions escalate over burgeoning illegal mining activities on land managed by Adamus Resources Limited.
The community’s outcry follows the recent arrest of five illegal miners by the Essiama District Police Command.
The operation, sanctioned and carried out by the Police and also supported by local youth, has pulled back the curtain on a complex web of alleged complicity between corporate security and unauthorized miners.
Allegations of Corporate Complicity:
The heart of the dispute lies in a startling revelation where some security officers from Adamus Resources reportedly confirmed a link between the company and the arrested suspects in a police statement.
The police have since requested formal documentation from Adamus Resources Limited to substantiate these claims.
Local youth leaders expressed deep frustration over what they describe as a “double standard” in land access:
The Barrier:
Law-abiding citizens seeking to form mining cooperatives in line with the President’s mandate for responsible mining are consistently denied access and allegedly met with military intimidation.
The Loophole:
Conversely, illegal mining groups appear to operate with ease on the same concessions.
“They always threaten us with heavy military presence whenever we request a lease, yet illegal miners are allowed to operate freely on the land,” one resident alleged.
“Middleman” and Political Connection:
Investigations have identified at least four separate illegal mining sites currently active on Adamus Resources’ concessions in the Nzema East District. Residents have pointed to a specific individual, Alfred Mahama, alleging he acts as a liaison between the mining company and these illegal operators.
The community is now demanding a full-scale investigation into these activities, specifically questioning whether political connections are being leveraged to bypass the Ghana Mining Act.
Degradation and Livelihoods:
Beyond the legal and economic disputes, the environmental cost is reaching a breaking point. Illegal operations have caused severe pollution in the Subile and Broma rivers.
These water bodies are vital to the community for:
Domestic use (drinking and cleaning).
Local fishing, which serves as a primary source of protein and income.
Formal Demands and Ultimatum:
The community has officially petitioned President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, to address the following:
Legal Clarity:
An explanation of whether a company can legally lease portions of its concession to unlicensed miners under the Mining Act.
Immediate Cessation:
A total halt to all mining activities on the disputed concession until the situation is clarified.
Accountability:
A thorough probe into the roles of Alfred Mahama and Adamus Resources’ management.
Questions:
The local people in communities such as Salman and the other four sites in Nzema East District questioned the behaviour of Alfred Mahama.
They wondered if his activities and actions are not undermining his brother’s government’s fight against illegal forms of mining.
They therefore asked the President to call his brother to order.
The Warning:
The youth of Salman have issued a one-week ultimatum.
They warned that if the authorities and Adamus Resources fail to act, the community may be forced to take matters into their own hands to secure the concession by force.
Story By Michael Ofosu-Afriyie, Kumasi
