Dumasi demonstrates against GSRL

Tarkwa (W/R), Jan. 18, GNA - The people of Dumasi, near Bogoso in the Wassa West District of Western Region on Wednesday embarked on a three-hour peaceful demonstration against Golden Star Resources (Bogoso/Prestea) Mine, formerly Bogoso Gold Limited (BGL) for failing to pay compensation for their farms and fish ponds.

At about 0400 hours the demonstrators blocked two haul roads leading to the Plant Site of the Mine thereby preventing the night shift staff from going home and the day shift staff from entering the Plant Site.

A contingent of the Ghana Army was deployed to disperse the demonstrators at about 0700 hours.

Briefing Ghana News Agency, Nana Kwaw Boa, an Elder of the Town, said GSRL has extended its operational area and as a result annexed some farmlands but had persistently refused to pay adequate compensation. He said the immediate cause of the demonstration was the decision by GSRL Management that the farm owners should go back to their farms after they had been denied access to them for six months. Nana Boa said earlier, GSRL came to measure and valued their farms and fish ponds and gave the owners white papers which signified that the farmers were going to be compensated.

He said a series of letters were written to prompt the Management of GSRL about the plight of the farmers but it did not respond. He said the Wassa West District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Ayensu was petitioned to mediate for an amicable solution but the Management did not honour a scheduled meeting with the DCE. Raising his hands in despair, Nana Boa said the only option left for the people was to demonstrate to press home their demand, hence the demonstration.

He said the unfortunate thing was that Ghanaian soldiers, who were paid with their taxes, were called in to brutalise them when they were demanding their justifiable claims.

Nana Boa recalled and condemned an earlier incident when soldiers were called in to burn hamlets and to destroy some fish ponds, saying, the use of brute force and intimidation could not solve the problem and would not promote good Community - Company relationship.