We won't allow mining in Banka - Angry residents fume

Irritated residents of Banka in the Asante-Akim South District located in the Ashanti Region, have expressed their concerns regarding an upcoming mining project.

According to them, a mining firm called Erriant Limited has been granted permission by the Asante-Akim South Municipal to begin prospecting in the Banka community.

However, the people, who refer to themselves as Justice and Development for Banka (JDB), are strongly opposed to mining activities in their community.

They argued that previous mining ventures in various communities have not yielded positive results, and they are determined to prevent the impending mining project.

During a press conference, the Banka residents, led by Thomas Kwame Kyei and Liticia Aboagyewaa, made allegations against the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Asante Akim South, Alexander Frimpong.

They claimed that Mr. Frimpong had permitted Erriant Company Limited and brought in Chinese nationals to initiate mining operations in their community.

Despite the lack of employment opportunities in the country, the residents are resolute in their decision to oppose mining activities. They have observed that many communities in Ghana where mining has taken place are underdeveloped, with water bodies and farmlands destroyed, and outbreaks of diseases occurring.

Due to these concerns, the residents fear that the Banka community may face similar challenges if mining proceeds. Therefore, they are determined to fight against the mining project in their community.

"Our District Chief Executive, Alex Frimpong has brought a group of Chinese Nationals to Banka to engage in mining. We strongly oppose this initiative. We don't want any mining operations in our community. Because mining operations have not resulted in any significant development in other mining communities across Ghana", the residents stated.

They pleaded with the president, Nana Akufo-Addo to call the Asante-Akim South MCE to order else they would react to the situation their way.

"If the MCE continues to insist on pursuing mining in Banka, we won't hesitate to take appropriate measures in response," the group warned.