Government agencies mandated to evacuate the illegal miners occupying the Obuasi concession of AngloGold Ashanti, are optimistic they will accomplish their task by the new date scheduled.
Illegal miners vandalize key equipment at AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi mine
It follows the review of the deadline date for eviction after the illegal miners resisted the initial attempts by the moving committee to get them out of the site.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi explained to Citi Business News he is confident all the miners will be ejected by the said date.
“I do not think that if we are supposed to work with the road map, we should have any difficulty at the end of the period, because per the time table, we are taking them in groups and phases,”
“By the time we get to the tail end, I am sure we would have reduced the numbers,” he said.
The illegal miners were initially required to evacuate the site from Monday, October 10, 2016.
This was expected to have ended on November 5, 2016.
At the time, the CEO of the Minerals Commission, Dr. Toni Aubynn told Citi Business News he was hopeful the informal miners will evacuate the site as some of the illegal miners were complying with the directive.
But the issue took a new turn when the illegal miners staged a demonstration on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 which led to the destruction of properties belonging to the New Patriotic Party, National Democratic Congress and Progressive People’s Party.
Citi Business News also understands that the relocation process is expected to involve six phases.
The areas including Golf Park, High Tamping, Sanso, Survey Hill-Wawasi, Cart 3/cart 4-Abompekrom and Cote Dor, will require three days each, to get rid of the illegal miners.
The continuous stay of the illegal miners has led to many altercations.
The development has also led to the death of at least 60 of the illegal miners as well as a senior Manager of AngloGold Ashanti, John Owusu.
AngloGold Ashanti has also filed a case at the international court of arbitration for government to be compelled to get rid of the illegal miners.
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