CHINESE shot dead two Ghanaians Over Illegal Mines in Ghana

 

Illegal mining activities in the Obuasi area turned nasty on Wednesday, after Chinese, who are also engaged in the illegal mining activities, shot dead two Ghanaians who were acting as landguards to protect the site of their countryman.

The third Ghanaian, whose conditions is said to be critical following the incident, has been rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital from the Obuasi Government Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.

The dead, Eric Kojo Ofori, 32, and Andrew Boateng reportedly questioned the Chinese as to why they had trespassed on their land.

On their way back to a nearby village, Mamiriwa, after the confrontation with the Chinese, they were ambushed by the latter, who reportedly shot them dead.

The bodies of Kojo Ofori Eric and Andrew Boateng have since been deposited at the mortuary of the Obuasi Government Hospital.

The Obuasi Divisional Crime Office, DSP Otuo Acheampong, who briefed The Chronicle on the incident, said the police had mounted a manhunt for the Ghanaians who hired the services of the landguards, as well as the Chinese who allegedly shot them.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kwaku Kwarteng, Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, has condemned the killing.

The following is the full condemnation statement he issued yesterday.

‘Yesterday, at least, two Ghanaians were murdered through gunshots, and many others seriously injured in Mamiriwa (a town in Obuasi) by illegal Chinese small scale miners.

The killings and disturbances resulted from a dispute over the ownership of small scale mining concessions in the Mamiriwa area.

To start with, section 83 of the Mining and Minerals Act (2006) forbids non-Ghanaians from doing any form of small scale mining in Ghana. So the Chinese should not have been in a position to engage in any dispute over any small scale mining activity. And, yet, this is not the first time an incident of this nature has happened. The impudence and disregard for Ghanaians and Ghanaian laws by foreigners in the small scale mining sector is unbelievable.

So why are we looking on?
The inaction of [the] government and our security agencies in the face of illegal mining activities by foreigners is most hurtful. Government must act decisively in this Mamiriwa killing. Our security agencies must arrest the offenders and subject them to the law.

The Mahama administration must take advantage of the Mamiriwa disturbances and killings to disprove the widely held belief that senior government officials take bribes from these foreign nationals, in order to allow them to mine illegally.

If [the government fails to act, it is not hard to see that very soon the sight of foreigners will become a provocative target of mob anger.

The people of Obuasi, in particular, are waiting to see the response of [the] government in this case.

SOURCE: Ghanaian Chronicle