Residents of Ayensukrom Number 2 in the Western Region are reportedly dissatisfied with Big Stone Mining Company Limited, large scale mining firm, operating in their community.
Ghanaian RADAR gathered the company’s failure to deliver on promises made nine years ago to construct a Community Health and Planning Services (CHPS) compound, market, public toilet, and Junior High School (JHS) in the community has sparked outrage.
Instead of fulfilling these commitments, the Chinese miming company has only provided Ayensukrom No. 2 residents a pipe-borne water after polluting the only river that serves the community, River Abodwa. This has rendered River Abodwa not potable for any human activity.
“Access roads to our farmlands have deteriorated significantly due to Big Stone’s operations. We’re now forced to trek longer distances to reach our farms, which wasn’t the case before the company arrived,” Adwoa Manu told this reporter via mobile phone.
Furthermore, the residents’ frustration is compounded by the inaction of their own chief and elders, who seem reluctant to support their demands for accountability from Big Stone Mining Company.
This lack of backing from their traditional leaders has left many of the residents feeling disenfranchised and helpless in their quest for justice.
“When some of our opinion leaders requested a meeting with the chief and elders, they were reported to the Paramount Chief at Patapom. This is part of the tactics employed by our chief and elders to intimidate us into submission,” Gifty Ampomaa recounted.
Big Stone Mining Company Limited is a large-scale mining company based in Bogoso, Western Region, Ghana. The company primarily focuses on tailings processing and other mining operations. Big Stone Mining Company started its operations in Ayensukrom No. 2 in 2016.
Story By: Dennis Ato Keelson
