Village folks storm mining concession
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Wangarakrom (Western Region), 18 Jan.
The people of Wangarakrom, a farming village, near Tarkwa, last Monday brought work to standstill for than six hours when stormed Teberebie Goldfields Limited (TGL) to stop workers from blocking a path through the mine to the village. They took hostage Mr. M. F. Aboagye, chief security officer of TGL,; he was released only after the police had intervened. The case is now being handled by the Wassa West District Chief Executive, Mr. Solomon Amoah. According to Mr. Henry Adusei Arthur, assemblyman for Teberebie electoral area, there has been a long-standing conflict between the people of Wangarakrom and TGL over the access path to the village which, as a result of mining activities, was diverted. Mr. Arthur said both sides agreed for the construction of the access road outside the mining area to avert any casualty, because of the movement of heavy equipment but the construction of the 28-kilometre road to Tarkwa meant that the people have to pay more for transport. He said early last Monday morning, the people of Wangarakrom stormed part of the TGL concession and brought work to a halt. The chief security officer of TGL who, upon hearing this, went to the scene to talk to the people, was taken hostage. According to the assembly man, the people are demanding that they be resettled because the village is too close to the TGL concession, but the company has refused, because it has already compensated people whose farmlands are in the concession.