The government’s 1D1F project in the Obuasi municipality, LEAPAB – an oil palm plantation and processing factory – is facing an imminent collapse following the invasion of its oil palm plantation by alleged illegal miners.
According to the company, a part of the 1000-acre land leased by the Adanse Traditional Council to grow oil palm to feed the factory has been invaded by miners engaged in illegal activities which has already destroyed large portions of their plantation. The management of the company has expressed fears over the current development, stating that this new trend will thwart the company’s plans. They added that it is, and will continue to affect the company’s ability to pay back loans it took for the establishment of the processing plant and the farms.
Meanwhile, the company has appealed to President Nana Akufo-Addo to intervene and help stop the activities of the illegal miners and to help reclaim the portions of their land which have been destroyed.
LEAPAB started operations in 2018 with a GH¢20 million credit facility from the Ghana Exim Bank.
Speaking in an interview, the Foreman of LEAPAB, Kwame Boadi, also called Agya Boadi, claimed that some influential persons and opinion leaders in the municipality were behind the activities, accusing them of being the main brains behind the illegal small-scale miners. He mentioned that the two groups of people had permitted the illegal miners to prospect for gold on the plantation without authorization from the relevant regulatory agencies.
Mr. Boadi accused the Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Elijah Adansi Bonah as one of the brains behind the illegal mining activities, saying that when MCE was informed that the land has already been leased to LEAPAB for the cultivation of the oil palm under 1D1F initiative, he asked that the community miners be allowed to mine on the land after which the land will be claimed for the plantation.
According to the company, after invading the land for gold, the illegal miners also failed to reclaim the parcels of land, thereby denying the company use of them for farming purposes.
“We had agreed because he said they were going to mine on the land for only three months and reclaim it afterwards. However, after mining the land they left without reclaiming it and were even trying to enter other parts. Now you can’t plant anything on the mined land.”
Mr. Ohene Adu Aboagye, LEAPAB’s CEO
Nana Kwadwo Asamoah, the Odikro of Adanse where a large portion of the 1000-acre land is located, has also pointed accusing fingers at the MCE for being the one who was leading the small-scale miners to destroy the land.
However, when the MCE was contacted, he denied any involvement in the activities, claiming that all the allegations were meant to tarnish his hard-earned image.
“I have never engaged in illegal mining and the records are there to show that I have never supported it. Why would I knowingly engage in illegal mining when there is community mining.
“We are in the process of getting nominations for district chief executive positions and I believe these are all machinations to undermine me.”
Mr. Elijah Adansi Bonah , Obuasi MCE.
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