Shaanxi workers demand arrest of Galamsey, the "pivot"

General News of Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-04-03

The workers' union of the Shaanxi Mining Company Limited in Gbane, Talensi District, in the Upper East Region, is calling for the arrest and prosecution of a galamsey chief, Kwesi Appiah, for the death of 16 illegal miners in the region. an incident occurred on January 23, 2019.

The findings of the Inspection Division of the Minerals Commission after a thorough investigation of the accident said Kwesi Appiah (aka Kwesi Bantama) responsible for having authorized the use, in the pit, of an illegal pit located in his house to access the Shaanxi mines that led to their death.

The management ordered that severe penalties be imposed on Kwesi Appiah for ordering 25 young men in his pit and closing all illegal pits related to the Shaanxi Mining Limited.

They also fined Shaanxi $ 50,000 for mining.

But after talking with reporters after a peaceful protest in the main streets of Tongo, Anagbire Micheal, spokesman for the workers of the Shaanxi mining company, called for the prosecution of Kwesi Appiah for the death of 16 miners illegal immigrants and to compensate bereaved families.

He also wants the government to apply its findings to the government by sealing all the illegal pits connecting the Shaanxi mines in order to avoid unnecessary new deaths.

"Mr. Kwesi Appiah (Bantama) should be arrested and prosecuted for the death of the 16 young men in his abyss, as recommended in the investigation report, and also compensate the bereaved families, the latter being held responsible . "

"The Attorney General's Department should take proactive measures in court to cancel the injunction granted by illegal miners, to allow the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission and the badembly from Talensi district to quickly seal all the pits in the Gbane mining area to the underground operations of Shaanxi to avoid the repetition of needless and pathetic deaths, "he added.

Anagbire urged the government not to take into account the ridiculous demand of the Talensi citizens concerned to cancel the Shaanxi mining permit, as their operations comply with Ghanaian law.

Shaanxi ordered to start operations

The inspection division of the Minerals Commission has authorized the mining company Shaanxi Mining to begin its normal activities.

More than 600 Shaanxi workers, although enthusiastic about the resumption of work, quickly worry about the building inspection division's inability to seal all the illegal pits connecting the Shaanxi mines basement by March 31, 2019.

They accuse the concerned citizens of Talensi of being hypocrites "who preach security and blackmail of Shaanxi for these accidents, but despise the solutions that result, which seek to obtain the injunction of the courts to impede the recommendations of the minerals commission ".