Newmont Africa says it is committed to progressing the Ahafo North Project in a responsible and sustainable manner with due regard for the human rights of all persons affected by the Project.
The company said it respected and proactively engaged in good faith dialogue to reach mutually acceptable solutions.
A statement issued in Accra by Mr David Johnson, the Director, Communications & External Relations, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited, said the Ahafo North Project had enjoyed strong community, regulatory, and broader stakeholder support and approval.
The Company was reacting to media publications alleging connivance with the police to arrest some members of the Concerned Farmers Association in its Ahafo North Project’s mining area.
It said the Ahafo North land access and Concerned Farmers’ claims in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, Newmont had accessed over 98 per cent of land required to begin construction of the Project.
About 2,500 farmers and landowners have been compensated, following negotiations and agreements with the Resettlement and Crop Rate Negotiation Committees, jointly constituted by impacted farmers, property owners, traditional leaders, as well as community and government representatives.
The statement said some 21 farmers, belonging to the Concerned Farmers Association, however, refused to abide by the outcome of the negotiations and subsequently declined enumeration of their farms and structures.
They have been uncooperative despite the extensive engagement and mediation efforts aimed at addressing their concerns, including interventions by eminent traditional chiefs, youth leaders, and other relevant stakeholders.
It said the Group was demanding individual negotiations that could result in potential rates beyond what was agreed by the Resettlement and Crop Rate Negotiation Committees, which rates were significantly more than the assessed professional and government valuation rates or lower negotiated rates leading to unfair compensation in comparison to the already 2,500 compensated farmers and further dissatisfaction with the compensation process.
The statement said following full compensation for over 98 per cent of lands required for mine construction, Newmont commenced clearing of these compensated lands within the Ahafo North Project’s mining area.
Unfortunately, some members of the Concerned Farmers Association have actively and aggressively disrupted land-clearing activities by the company and its contractors.
The company has largely resorted to good faith engagement and dialogue in these instances, to reduce tension and maintain peaceful co-existence.
It said there was an incident where the company’s exploration team inadvertently impacted one of the farms that had not yet been compensated for.
In this instance, the company engaged the owners of the land, who are members of the Association to amicably resolve the impact and they initially agreed for the temporary exploration activities to proceed while adequate compensation is discussed.
However, one Mr John Mensah, who is the chairman of the Association, mobilised other members of the Association whose land had not been impacted, to halt the exploration drilling activities on the said parcel of land, threatening to burn the exploration drill rig, among other equipment.
The exploration activity was stopped, the rigs demobilised, and the drill holes covered.
The statement said in a separate incident, Mr. Mensah led some Association members to attack Newmont’s mining team during a land-clearing exercise on a parcel of land that had been negotiated and compensated for by the company.
It said this time, the company’s vehicle was vandalized during the attack, prompting the company to report the incident to the police and the members were arrested and arraigned before the Duayaw Nkwanta circuit court on 30th August 2023.
The statement said the court granted them bail and directed them not to return to the company’s mining area until the determination of the case by the court.
Unfortunately, the Association members ignored the court’s directive and proceeded to disrupt work at the mining area the very next day, September 1, 2023, leading to the arrest of four of them, including Mr. John Mensah.
It said the Concerned Farmers Association made claims in the media publication that members of the Association were on their way to their farms when they noticed that the farm of their chairman, Mr Mensah, was being destroyed by Newmont.
The statement said the land in question was not owned by Mr Mensah, his not a tenant farmer and the said land had been fully assessed and due compensation paid to the farmland owner, following the owner’s request to Newmont to carry out the assessment, and Mr Mensah’s refusal to allow for same.
It said Mr Mensah was duly notified of the landowner’s request for assessment and payment of compensation and after the assessment, Mr Mensah proceeded to harvest all the mature teak trees in the farm before the Newmont team started the land clearing.
It said Newmont Africa remained committed to progressing the Ahafo North project in a responsible manner, and in line with the due human rights requirements and processes.
“It will continue constructive and organised dialogue with all stakeholders on all issues of mutual concern to ensure the long-term sustainability of the business and the jobs, incomes, tax revenues and other benefits the company provides,” it added.
GNA