Twifo Atti-Morkwa Chief Dragged To Court Again Over Galamsey Issues
- Oseadeeyo Kwesi Kennin IV, Paramount Chief of Atti-Morkwa, has been sued by nine mining companies for encroaching on their land
- The nine companies said the Paramount Chief and his workers had trespassed on their concessions and were indiscriminately mining
- The Chief is already embroiled in another lawsuit with a different mining company for illegally mining on their concession
The Paramount Chief of Atti-Morkwa Traditional Area in the Central Region, Oseadeeyo Kwesi Kennin IV, has become the subject of a fresh lawsuit.
Nine mining companies in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa area have sued the Chief, alleging that he has encroached on their concessions and is illegally conducting mining operations there.
Source: Getty Images
The latest lawsuit follows an earlier lawsuit filed by Kadesh Mining Enterprise in Kumasi, which also accuses the Chief and his elders of illegally taking over portions of its mining concession for their activities.
The nine mining companies have prayed the court to injunct the Chief and his workers from trespassing on their concessions.
They have also demanded that the court order the chief to carry out restoration and reclamation of the areas he has illegally mined.
The presiding judge, Samuel Faraday Johnson on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, adjourned the hearing to October 28, 2024.
He noted that he is awaiting a ruling from the Kumasi High Court concerning the jurisdiction in which the Kadesh Mining Enterprise case will be heard.
Paramount Chief versus Kadesh Mining Enterprise
The Paramount Chief of Twifo Atti-Morkwa in the Central Region, his linguist, and two others are facing prosecution for their alleged involvement in illegal mining activities.
Oseadeayo Kwasi Kenin IV and his court officials were accused by officials of Kadesh Mining Enterprise of encroaching on a licensed mining concession and taking over operations.
Kadesh alleged that the activities of the chief and his officials had destroyed 85 per cent of their 14.73-acre concession at Twifo Atti-Morkwa.
Kadesh Mining Enterprise told the Kumasi High Court that it was granted a five-year small-scale mining license in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa area on June 11, 2024.
However, before the company could begin operations on its concession, its site was taken over by the Omanhene of Twifo Atti-Morkwa Oseadeayo Kwasi Kenin IV, Okyeame Yaw Asamoah, Ernest Ahorlu and their foreign partners led by a Chinese national, Wu Ming Ji.
Akyem Wenchi Chief speaks on galamsey
YEN.com.gh reported that the Chief of Akyem Wenchi said any attempts to eradicate galamsey without having a better alternative livelihood would be futile.
He stated that illegal mining activities remain the largest employment source in the area, providing jobs to many unemployed youth.
He advised that the government introduce community mining schemes involving chiefs to help regularise and manage the resources.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
