Lands Ministry Orders Temporal Closure Of Mining Company In  Talensi


The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has with immediate effect ordered the temporal closure of Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited, a prospecting mining company operating in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region. 

The company which has been in operation since 2010 with a current workforce of over 500 is alleged to have been involved in illegalities leading to the loss of other small scale miners, the recent being the mine blast that killed at least seven people after inhaling toxic gasses in an underground pit. 

Over the years, local miners in the area have questioned the validity of their documentation and registration as a mining services provider and have further accused them for unsafe mining practices. 

The action by the ministry follows a report by Radio Ghana Wednesday. 

Per the letter, the directive is to assist the security and the regulatory bodies concerned to conduct full scale investigation into their operations for consideration. 
 
Radio Ghana's Correspondent Isaac Asare reports that local miners at Gbane in the Talensi District had over the period interfered in the operations of Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd which is said to be providing mining support services to two small scale mining groups, Pubuotaba and Yenyeya mining groups. 

Although the company possess the requisite mining operating service permit from the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission, local miners in the area have accused them for engaging in poor mining practices. 

According to them, the company is operating without proper documentation and carried out illegal mining at the detriment of the people. 

The miners have also accused the company of tax evasion and non-payment of royalties, failure to comply with the minerals and mining regulations and causing needless deaths among the youth due to unsafe practices. 

They are equally cited for blasting without prior notices to other concessionaires.  Last month, the company was blamed for the death of seven who died after inhaling poisonous gas in an underground pit. 

Since the said incident, tension have been brewing between the local people and mining firm with some local groups calling for their immediate expulsion. 

Meanwhile, the company is pleading with the ministry to take a second look at the directive given since all safety requirements are strictly adhered to. 

Mr. Joseph Anokye is the Human Resource Manager of Shaanxi Ghana Ltd. 

He blamed the local miners for the mining related deaths in the area.

According to him, the company is recognized by the minerals commission and works with highly trained individuals who have been in the mining industry for over 30 years. 

18 of them are professionals and expertise who are grounded in their own fields and have worked with mining giants like AngloGold Ashanti, Newmont, Rangold and Goldfields Ghana. 

The news about the temporal closure of the mine did not go down well with the over 500 staff who are mainly natives of Gbane. 

One could easily read the frustration and disappointment on their faces as they hooked on to their red bands to show their disquiet over the matter. 

Some that spoke with Radio Ghana appealed to the ministry to rescind its decision since their lives depend on the mine. 

 
     
GBC