The Mines Inspectorate Division of the Mineral Commission has launched full-scale investigation into the impasse between the military and quarry operators at Shai Hills, near Tema, in the Greater Accra Region.
The Acting Chief Inspector of Mines, Mr John Amoanyi, disclosed this to The Chronicle in a telephone interview yesterday. According to him, the investigative team will provide the needed foundation for further action.
Meanwhile, the impasse between the military and quarry operators continues unabated, as the former is still allowing the latter to operate. It is unclear when the soldiers would allow commercial operations at the quarries to resume.
However, information tapped from the crunch meeting at Burma Camp on Wednesday suggests a road map is being prepared to enable the two bodies to co-exist in harmony.
The soldiers, after what is being described as bad faith on the part of the quarry operators, went and shutdown the twenty-four (24) commercial quarry companies in the enclave.
This is due to the destruction of infrastructure at the military bases at Army Recruits Training School(ARTS), Shai Hills and the Military Training Camp, Bundase, in the Shai Osudoku and Ningo Prampram districts respectively.
Meanwhile, a former Director of Geological Survey Authority has proposed the setting up of an expert committee, made up of relevant state agencies, the private sector and tertiary institutions to find a better way of breaking mining of quarry materials around the country and Shai Hills in particular.
The former Director, Mr Adjei Dodoo, who said this in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle,added that it would ensure that infrastructure in the immediate environs remain intact, in spite of activities of the quarry companies.
The renowned retired geologist who happened to have conducted extensive research into the composition of soil at the Shai Hills when in active service suggested the embodiment of the committee to include the Geological Survey Authority, Mines Inspectorate and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According to Mr Dodoo, though the interim measures could still prevail, a lasting solution to the geological problem would be the next stage.
The Chronicle, with live signals beaming from the concentrated quarries, have stumbled on information that the state must, as a matter of policy, bring all the commercial quarry operators under one umbrella to enable the constitutional bodies to monitor every activity.
The above is to have regular checks on the operators by the umbrella body, should it be in place.
In a related development, a highly placed military source has told The Chronicle that there is no tension in its camps at both Shai Hills and Bundase as earlier reported.
Source: The Chronicle