Nkroful Mining Impasse Settled

The impasse between Nkroful Small-Scale Miners Association (NSSMA) and Adamus Resources Limited, a subsidiary mining wing of Endeavor, the global Canadian mining firm with holdings internationally, has finally been resolved. This follows a successful meeting between the two parties at Nkroful, the birth place of Ghana�s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, at the weekend. Whilst Adamus Resources claim to have the legitimate right over the town, after acquiring the mining concession in the area, which includes the Nkroful community, where the main mining concession under contention is located, the Nkroful Small-Scale Miners Association (NSSMA) has also claimed to be the legitimate owners of the concession as indigenes and custodians of the land. But after the meeting, both parties confirmed their satisfaction about the outcome. The union chairman of the NSSMA, Mr Daniel Kaku Mensah, told reporters after the meeting that �an amicable settlement had been reached but it is up to Adamus Resource Limited to behave responsibly as agreed�. On his part, Mr Kofi Adusei, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager of the company, said the meeting had confirmed the ownership of the concession and that �both parties will work according to the roadmap agreed upon�. The roadmap, according to the parties, will allow Adamus Resources as the title owners of the concession to go into the area to assess the reserves, consider where to demarcate to the small-scale miners for their own operations. But some of the small-scale miners, according to our sources at the meeting, are still bent on beating war drums should the mining giant refuse to cede part of concession to them after taking over. Another worrying development, which some of the small-scale miners raised, according to sources, is the level of degradation that will take place in the home town of Kwame Nkrumah, which has become a major tourist attraction. The company, however, insists that its activities will not impact negatively on the community. They have assured the people that should there be any decision to call for relocation, it would be carried out by consensus. Recently, security forces stormed the mining camp at Nkroful to flush out illegal miners on the concession acquired by Adamus Resources Limited. That swift exercise angered the NSSMA, and their agitations necessitated the crucial meeting to draw the roadmap for peace.