MP escapes lynching

Prestea (Western Region) -- The Member of Parliament (MP) for Prestea-Huni Valley, Albert Kwaku Obbin, was nearly lynched at the Scot Stadium of Prestea by some 10,000 mob who thronged the park on Tuesday for what had been intended to be a peaceful public hearing on a proposed mining project.

Though the over 100 soldiers and police present there rescued him, the honourable man lost the windscreen of his car which was smashed by flying stones from the angry youth. Similarly, a flashy Toyota Landcruiser driven to the meeting by the Graphic Communications Group from Accra lost its windscreen to the mob.

Perhaps, the biggest casualty was the driver of the graphic car, into whose eyes some dozens of particles of broken glass flew.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) organised the public hearing to collect and collate view of Prestea people on a proposed surface mining project in the town which is already beleagured by unsatisfactory mining activities.

The violent situation became apparent in the early stages of the programme as the residents who wore red dresses and took over all available space at the Scot Stadium, started misbehaving. At a certain stage the heavy crowd chose to shout g-o-a-l, as if a goal had been scored in a football match. The noise was apparently meant to shout down officials from the EPA and Bogoso Gold Limited who were trying to explain things to them about surface mining.

The heavy crowd, probably the largest ever seen at the stadium, were confined to the stands but later they overpowered the police personnel who, even though were carrying guns and tear gas, could not do anything but force themselves into the inner perimeter of the park to apparently attack those who were the target in their presentation about the intended surface mining.

This unfortunate behaviour compelled the authorities to call for police reinforcement who responded quickly to ensure law and order there. Most of the chiefs who were in favour of surface mining in the town were compelled to reject for fear of being attacked by their subjects.

When the EPA officials who were conducting the programme realised the tense nature of the situation they brought proceedings to an end but before a final prayer could be said, the crowd had already taken positions around the VIP stand to attack personnel there for no apparent reason.

The military and police however, managed to shield them and escorted them to their cars parked outside the park. The crowd who were bent on attacking the officials, especially, their MP whom they accused of using the President’s name in a timber deal, quickly ran to the top of a hill near the stadium and started throwing stones which was aimed at Hon Albert Obbin, however, missed its target and smashed the windscreen of his new Mitsubishi Pajero car.

The police and the military who were more interested in the protection of the official quickly signalled all official cars to move immediately as stones were flying at them. The Graphic car which brought down Joe Bradford Nyinah and his cameraman, Patrick Fynn, was however unlucky, as one of the stones landed on the windscreen of their car.

Speaking to the press later, officials from the EPA, led by Messrs Ameyaw, Osei, Sakyi and Ransford said the behaviour by the people of Prestea was most unfortunate. According to the two officials, under LI 1652 of 1999, they have the power and right to grant an environmental permit to any mining company which satisfied all their conditions.

Ameyaw said they usually organise public hearings to find out the views or fears of the residents on the project for it to be addressed by the mining company concerned. The hearing is not designed to be a forum for the residents to reject the whole project. All minerals have been vested in the state which has the power to extract it, he added.

According to him, on 28 May, this year, a similar public hearing was organised for the residents of Prestea to voice out their concerns which they did. He told Chronicle that they have received a draft environmental impact assessment from the Bogoso Gold Ltd., which is engaged in surface mining in the town.

Ameyaw said the second public hearing became necessary because they wanted to find out whether all the concerns raised by the residents in the first public hearing had been addressed in the EIA by BGL.

Ransford on his part said it is the duty of EPA to ensure that the project does not affect the health status of the people. He noted that if Prestea citizens have any concerns at all, they should have made it known to them to have them addressed but not to behave the way they did.

Besides, he continued, BGL would be mandated to post a bond of not less than $1m. that means that if they fail to do what the EPA has mandated them, the amount would be forfeited.