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Residents of Bibiani Old Town, in the Western North Region, where mining activities started as far back as 1835, are extremely angry with Menzigold Bibiani Limited.
They allege that the mining company, currently operating in their community, is neglecting them in its social responsibility obligations to the community.
They claim that although their community is rich in gold, it has nothing to show for this natural resource, with Menzigold looking on unconcerned about naked neglect staring the residents in terms of sanitation, access to health, education and jobs.
According to them, the company is only interested in its mining operation, with no plans to help develop the people and the community as a whole.
It is in this vein that they have threatened to confront the company if government fails, as a matter of urgency, to impress on the company “to do the needful”. They have also called for a broader consultation on Menzigold’s operation at Bibiani Old Town.
Some of them who spoke to Daily Statesman lamented over the sorry state of Bibiani Old Town, which cannot boast of basic amenities like good roads, school buildings and potable drinking water.
Besides these, they said they cannot tolerate the excessive noise from the company’s surface mining operation with its associated health implications.
Nana Yaw Ansah, a farmer, said Menzigold had acquired a four kilometre square concession for surface mining in the area, and seems not bothered about the people’s suffering and predicament. He said the company had totally failed to compensate farmers whose lands were affected by its concession.
Again, Nana Ansah accused the company of failing to offer employment to people living in the community.
As if that is not enough, he said Menzigold has no plan to reclaim mining sites for farming activities.
Nana Ansah lamented that residents in Bibiani Old Town had been rendered paupers on their own gold filled land, with farmers among them also being denied arable lands for farming.
He said “a hungry man is an angry man”, and threatened that Menzigold would not have peace to operate in the area, if management fails to pay attention to development of the people and the community.
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