Some aggrieved cocoa farmers at Denkyira Breman in the Central region have issued a stern warning to Perseus Mining (Ghana) Limited (PMGL) to stay away from their farmlands or risk having its equipment destroyed.
According to the visibly angry farmers, who denied ever giving their lands to the company for any mining exploits, “any move by the company to forcibly take over our lands’ grown with cocoa and other food and cash crops, would incur our wrath!”
Addressing a press conference in Denkyira Breman in the Central Region recently, chief farmer of the town, Emmanuel Boapong (aka Bojers), who spoke on behalf of the farmers, cautioned that they will “set ablaze any mining equipment of Perseus found on their farmlands,” especially when they have not leased out their lands to the company.
He emphasized that the over 100 farmers in Denkyira Breman who have no reason to sell their lands to Perseus cannot fathom why the mining company was hell-bent on taking possession of their lands.
“Our warning to Perseus is that we will burn any of their machines found on our Farmlands. We have told them time without number that we will not give our lands to them for mining, and that we are content with our farming, yet, their machines are often found on our lands” the chief farmer stated.
According to him, they have already notified both the Police Commanders at the Diaso District Police Command and the Dunkwa Divisional Police Command about their resolve to do everything humanly possible to protect their lands.
He questioned the motive behind the recent deployment of about 17 armed police officers from the Central Regional Police Command to the farmland of a widow, Madam Esther Konadu, who is also a farmer.
“In fact we have reason to believe that Perseus is ready to go the extra-mile to take the lands of especially farmers who are unwilling to lease out their lands to them,” he noted.
As a result, Mr. Boapong called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, to, as a matter of urgency, cause an investigation into the incident that saw staff members of Perseus drive their excavator, a drilling machine and other machines to the farmland of the widow.
Furthermore, he called on the Akufo-Addo administration to step in before the matter becomes messy! .
Source: Ghananewsonline.com.gh