Operations of Global (Ghana) Ore Industries Limited at the Aboso-Bompieso mining concession in the Western Region were reportedly disrupted on last Thursday when a group allegedly attacked company officials and prevented workers from accessing the mine site.
The Ghanaian Times gathered that about 10 people, including Chinese investors and partners of Global Ore, were attacked when they visited the concession. The group allegedly forced workers from the site and vandalised company vehicles, smashing their windscreens.
The Community Affairs Officer of Global Ore, Mr Prosper Makafui Agbetoh, confirmed that the incident occurred around midday and called on the Ghana Police Service and other state security agencies to investigate.
“We have reported the incident to the police at Tarkwa and we hope they urgently investigate the matter to safeguard the safety and security of workers and the protection of property,” he stated.
Mr Agbetoh said the incident followed government approval for Global Ore to operate the Aboso-Bompieso mining concession after the transfer of the mining lease from Adudanfed Company Limited.
He explained that the company had been registered in Ghana to undertake underground mining operations on a 16.2-square-kilometre concession comprising 77 cadastral blocks, including mine-site infrastructure, a new shaft and a processing plant.
According to him, the lease stretches from Fanti Mine to Bompieso, and the company received approval from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on January 3, 2025, to operate the mine as a large-scale mining company in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality.
Mr Agbetoh said the incident occurred when the company’s Chief Executive Officer, engineers, geologists and other staff visited the Aboso mining area for an inspection.
He alleged that illegal miners wielding guns, knives and iron rods threatened the team, intercepted their vehicles and smashed them.
An official of Global Ore, who declined to be named, mentioned that the incident could affect investor confidence and potentially strain Ghana-China relations.
He said the company would report the matter to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana.
At a recent community engagement, a State Attorney in the Western Region, Mr Kingsley Nana Agyekum, directed persons undertaking mining operations without the requisite licences in the Bompieso and Aboso areas to cease operations and allow Global Ore to access its concession.
He warned that persons found on the company’s concession could be prosecuted in accordance with the law, adding that Global Ore and its investors had been granted the requisite licence and were paying applicable government fees and royalties.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
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