“Newmont Fails To Resettle Affected Residents In Spite Of Court Order” 21 July 2020

Newmont Ghana Gold Limited has failed to fulfill its promise of resettling some 25 households who were directly affected by activities of the mining company at Dormaa-Kantinka in its Ahafo Mines Area within six months. However, for almost two years now, the Company is yet to complete the houses to be occupied by the affected residents. The situation is extremely unbearable and poses serious health threat to the affected residents since some of them are overcrowded in the single room rented for by the company.

…Newmont Ghana Gold Limited initially contended not to resettle the affected residents, however with the help of WACAM and Centre for Public Interest Law, human rights Environmental NGOs, the affected residents took the company to court. The Accra High Court (Human Rights Division) in July 2018 in its ruling ordered Newmont to resettle the residents of 25 households at Dormaa-Kantinka. This followed protracted disagreement between the parties as to whether the people were eligible for resettlement or not.

Responding to concerns raised by affected members, the Communications and External Relations Manager of Newmont Ahafo Mine, Samuel Osei, said, all the 25 housing units for the affected persons are almost ready, pending finishing activities like electricity connectivity and fumigation of the houses before the official handing over to the people. According to Mr Osei, the 25 resettlement housing units were ready to be occupied in April this year but the company had to hold on to address a request from the leadership of the Project Affected Persons to have the new housing units fumigated before they are handed over to them.