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‘Anglogold Ashanti polluting communities’ |
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Anglogold Ashanti, one of the biggest mining firms in the world has been accused of continuously polluting water bodies and the environment in communities surrounding their concessions in the Western Region. |
At a press conference organised by Foodfirst Information and Action Network, a Non Governmental Organisation in Accra yesterday, the Chiefs and people of Teberebie, Mile five, six and seven, all settler communities in the region said several attempts made to stop the mining giant from discharging sewage into the streams and rivers the communities drink from has proved unsuccessful, adding that by polluting their drinking water, Anglogold Ashanti has violated the rights to water of the communities.
Speaking at the conference Wednesday, the settlers led by Nana Kwadwo Minnah, chief of Teberebie said their farm lands have all been destroyed and as a result have no place to farm to feed their families.
He claimed they have not been compensated by the company as they were initially promised when their farmlands were taken from them for gold extraction, adding that the company does not respect the views of the local people but do what pleases them.
"We sometimes hide ourselves to escape the wrath of Anglogold Ashanti Security guards."
Nana Kwadwo Minnah said the streams and rivers serving the various communities have been totally destroyed by the operations of the company, thus making it difficult for them to have access to potable drinking water.
He said that before the Anglogold Ashanti came to the community for mining activities, there were lots of fishes in their rivers but the activities have killed all the fishes. "We now have to travel all the way to Tarkwa to buy fish for food. The distance from our communities to our new relocated farm sites are between 8kilometers and 10 kilometers. This poses a big problem for us since we are forced to walk without assistance from the company", he added.
Ato Essel, head of the youth group in the affected communities also in a statement said the community is over one thousand but they lack access to education. "since there is no proper structure to be used as a school block our children trek long distance to attend school or people migrate to other settler communities to be able to have access to education".
He added that since the land was taken from them by Anglogold Ashanti without compensation, they could not support their families.
According to Mr Essel they are now strangers in their own communities because of the way they are maltreated by the Anglogold Ashanti land guards.
He noted that due to the continuous pollution of water bodies, some diseases such as abdominal pains, elephantiasis among others have engulfed their communities and dangerously threatening the health conditions of the people.
The Coordinator of Food First Information and Action Network, Ghana, Mike Anane, said there has been increase in cases of human rights abuse perpetrated against people living in the Teberebie and surroundings communities.
According to him, Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights to which Ghana is a signatory enforces States to recognize the rights of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family in mining communities and are obliged to take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right.
He said the indiscriminate open air dumping of heaps of waste rocks by Anglogold and their subsequent exposure to atmospheric conditions pose a potential threat to the communities.
Attempts by The Statesman to get a response from officials of Anglogold proved futile, as the head of Corporate Communications was said to be out of the country and other officials refused to comment in his absence
Source: Statesman
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