Some workers of Owere Mines located at Konongo in the Asante Akim-
This follows an earlier claim by the Owere miners that the Mines’ leadership have defaulted in their responsibilities of protecting the company’s concession; making it an easy prey for illegal miners.
The workers, however, allege that the management has actually leased parts of the Owere Mines concession to small scale miners; a practice that makes the property even more vulnerable to the galamsey operators.
They workers appealed to the government - through the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry, to urgently come to their aid to revamp the Mines and save them from the devastating consequences of the management’s poor practices.
They sighted some of these practices to include; delays in their salaries and allowances payments, rising health and safety risk within the Mines environment, among others.
Emphasizing safety concerns, they cited a case that occurred last week when, two people died from the collapse of one of the illegal mining pits within the company’s concession.
Responding to the appeal made by the Owere Mines workers in Accra, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources John Peter Amewu, said the disgruntled mining staffs were pursuing the same cause as the government under President Nana Akufo – Addo.
He noted that the illegal mining or galamsey menace has had as much negative impact on government as it has on the Owere Mines Limited workers.
He assured them that the government through his leadership at the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry will immediately call for payment of the Owere workers as well as all concession payments made to the management by small scale miners.
The Owere Mines has for the past three years ceased its operations due to galamsey activities and management issues. A development that has made its over 125 kilometers square concession an easy target for illegal miners and its retrenched workers struggling for daily survival.