Gbane residents petition Mahama over mining dispute and security concerns
The Alliance for Gbane Development is calling for presidential intervention, state security protection and investigations into alleged assaults amid an ongoing mining dispute.
Residents of Gbane in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region have petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in an ongoing mining dispute involving Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited and Nanlamtaaba Enterprise.
The Alliance for Gbane Development, which addressed the media, said the dispute has created tension and raised security concerns in the community.
The group said it respects the court’s decision granting Nanlamtaaba an interim order to undertake mining activities with police protection, but insists that the order must not compromise the safety of residents.
“We do not seek conflict, we seek order, justice, and peace,” the group said.
It alleged that armed guards associated with Nanlamtaaba have confronted community members, including three young men who were allegedly assaulted after being found sitting under a tree near a disputed mining area.
The group is calling for state security personnel to provide protection instead of private armed guards, investigations into the alleged assaults and other incidents, and enforcement of directives issued by the mining regulator.
A spokesperson for the group said the dispute is also affecting livelihoods, particularly after mining operations involving Earl International were halted.
“Most of our youth here are working in the mine. Most of them, almost everybody behind me here, has a livelihood. The livelihood of our economy is based on the mine,” he said.
The residents also questioned Nanlamtaaba’s mining permits and its right to operate in the area, insisting that the concerns should be resolved through the appropriate regulatory and legal processes.
They have urged President Mahama and the security agencies to act swiftly to prevent the situation from escalating.
The Alliance said its petition is not intended to challenge the judiciary but to seek protection for residents and ensure that the mining dispute does not threaten peace in the community.
Mike 105.3 FM | Navrongo | Samuel Atule Abiiro
